


The Hero's Journey

by CassadyFlies



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-31
Updated: 2017-08-10
Packaged: 2018-12-09 15:01:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 25,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11671467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CassadyFlies/pseuds/CassadyFlies
Summary: Family life is a struggle in the Potter household. When Harry finds some old memories from his godfather stored up in the attic of Grimmauld Place, both family and life become more complicated than they originally seemed.Who is that baby in the memories, and what sort of secrets might James Potter the first have taken with him to his grave?





	1. The Separation

The sun was sitting firmly above the horizon at Grimmauld Place, refusing to sleep with the same adamancy of Harry Potter’s own brain.  _ It’s too early,  _ he complained to himself.  _ There’s no chance I’ll fall asleep at this hour. I should just get up and…  _ That’s where he fell short. He had nothing further to do. His bags were packed, ready for yet another work trip abroad the next morning, and the entire house was as tidied as it ever got despite the protests of his children. He needed to sleep, if he was going to at all. Otherwise the time difference would ruin all of his plans. He had travel down to a science, and throwing off his entire routine just because of the  _ stupid sun  _ would be regrettable later.

“You should take a sleeping potion.” Ginny was standing in the doorway to their bedroom, raising an amused eyebrow as she watched him fail to sleep over her evening mug of tea. “You’re never going to fall asleep this way.”

Harry sighed, pulling a pillow down over his eyes. “That will only make me groggy tomorrow, then I’m going to get that pain in my back again and I’m not going to be able to sleep  _ at all  _ when I’m in Berlin.”

“Well, I won’t tell you what to do.” She set her mug down on the chest of drawers. “But James and his friends are stopping by in just a moment before they head out to wherever they’re going, and I can’t promise quiet.”

Harry considered that for a moment before sitting up with a sigh. “When is he moving out, again?”

“He’s only twenty.”

“I swear, I still think we’re twenty at times.” He cast his legs over the edge of the bed and stood with a groan. “Until I have to stand up, that is.” He snatched his glasses from the side table and put them on, bringing the world into sharp focus. “Maybe I’ll find a book or something.”

Ginny laughed shortly. “Or something.”

Harry squinted down the brightly lit hallway. “I’ll sort through some old stuff in the attic.”

_ “Clean,”  _ Ginny corrected. “Clean out some old junk in the attic, you must mean.”

“Mm, yes.” Harry confirmed, strolling off down the hallway. “I’ll be productive.” 

“Be nice,” Ginny warned as he left. The hatch to the attic was unfortunately located in Albus’ bedroom, which was one of the reasons it was taking Harry so long to getting around to cleaning up the place. Albus wasn’t exactly welcoming towards people entering his room.

Harry stared at the blank door for a long moment. Albus was the only one of his kids who didn’t decorate his door with posters or photographs. If you didn’t know better, you’d think the room was unused. Sound never came out of it, it always seemed dark, and there was an extra lock above the doorknob that only opened with a key Harry didn’t have a copy of.

He hesitantly knocked.

There was a long moment of silence, during which Harry considered just leaving, before Albus opened the door. “What?” He asked bluntly. He really did look the spitting image of his father, especially in that moment. Both of them were barefoot in pajamas with their hair stood on end like they might have stuck a fork in a socket.

“I need to get up to the attic.” Best to use short, simple sentences with Al. He stopped listening if you went on too long.

Albus looked down at the floor and sighed. “Just a sec, then.” He shut the door abruptly in Harry’s face.

There was another long moment, during which Harry could only assume Albus was hurriedly cleaning his room of probable cause.

“Okay.” He opened the door and stood aside.

Albus’ bedroom was half-tidy. Dirty laundry, bits of parchment, and a half-empty trunk were the only things out of place in the room. The ladder to the attic stood open, a clear invitation from Albus to not stick around for long, so Harry climbed up without another word.

“How long are you going to be up there?” Albus frowned at him from below.

Harry bit back the retorts on his tongue. It was far too easy to fight with Al, and it never lead anywhere positive. Besides, Ginny had recently made it very clear that he was not to cause arguments, and it wouldn’t be good to get in a fight with her either. Especially right before going abroad. He counted slowly to three in his head, and swallowed his pride before responding. “Until James and his friends have left. Why don’t you tell me when that is, then I’ll come down.”

Albus shifted his weight from foot to foot, looking quite like he was searching for something in that suggestion to be upset about. “Okay,” he conceded eventually. “I’ll let you know, then.”

“Okay.” Harry reached out to close the ladder beneath him.

“I’ll tell you when they’re gone,” Albus repeated before he could. “Then you can go.”

“Alright, then.” Harry closed the ladder, shutting out the dim light from Albus’ room. “It’s my own damn house, anyways,” he added under his breath.  _ “Lumos maxima.” _

The attic glowed in sudden white light that illuminated all the spiderwebs. Ornate trunks left behind by the Blacks were scattered amongst overpacked cardboard boxes stored up there later by the Potters. Trying not to be overwhelmed, Harry picked a trunk at random and pried it open. Old robes and mothballs. He inspected the robes before deciding they didn’t belong to anyone important. That would be the rubbish pile, then. Harry tossed a few more boxes of junk into the pile before finding something that piqued his interest.

A nondescript wooden trunk sat in the corner beneath an empty portrait frame and a basket of socks. He cleared the junk to the side and opened the trunk. Inside, baby clothes, baby shoes, and baby blankets cushioned a leather brief case. Harry held one of the baby shoes to the light, wracking his brain for whose it might be. It looked too old to be one of his kids, but not old enough to belong to Sirius or Regulus.

Curiosity mounting, Harry settled down in front of the trunk and began taking things out. The briefcase was locked only by Muggle standards, and so opened easily. Several vials of silvery liquid stared up at him from the bottom of the case.

“Pensieve,” he muttered to himself, inspecting one of the vials. He looked around, hoping there might be some sort of equipment he could see the memories in. When nothing immediately presented itself, he gave up.

It didn’t matter in the end, because below the baby clothes were a handful of black and white photographs of people he recognized instantly.

His father, James Potter the first, was grinning at the camera, a black haired baby improperly swaddled in his arms. The infant’s arms and legs were sticking awkwardly out of the blanket it was wrapped in, clearly someone’s first ever attempt at wrapping up a human child.

Sirius and Remus were standing to James’ right, looking as much like proud new parents as James did.

Another photograph was a close up of the baby’s face. The newborn blinked at the camera, looking dazzled. Strange. Harry wouldn’t have identified the baby as himself if he hadn’t seen the photo with James in. No scar yet marked its forehead, and the black and white photography removed all the green from its eyes. Only on closer inspection could you see the resemblance. The shape of his nose, the curve of his chin, it was all there in the picture. Yet, the child looked somehow alien at the same time. A whole lifetime away.

Harry looked through the rest of the photographs, none of which contained his mother. He could only assume she was the one holding the camera, but it did seem odd. Perhaps these were just the photos Sirius chose to keep for some reason.

More photos gave insight. Harry had to smile at one that showed the slightly older child sitting on Remus’ lap, the two of them wearing identical expressions of displeasure at the camera being shoved in their faces. It was bizarre to look into the past like that. James the first was the same age as James the second. And yet, Harry realized with a pang of sadness, James the first probably had less than a year left judging by how old baby Harry was. The oblivious child in Remus’ lap had to be around a year old in that picture, which meant in a few months’ time…

After looking at them for a while, something about the photographs struck Harry as odd. They were all taken at a location Harry didn’t recognize; it looked like maybe a small flat. Lily was in none of them, and James didn’t seem to be around for most of them either. In fact, the majority of the photographs were of Remus holding a comparatively  _ properly  _ swaddled baby. Second to that, most of the photos were of Sirius holding the child. There weren’t many pictures of them together, so it seemed like they were holding the camera for each other. If Harry didn’t know any better, he would have guessed the baby was one of theirs.

So that meant he’d spent lots of time away from his parents. With Sirius and Remus. Apparently enough time that they had a trunk full of baby clothes left over. A trunk full of baby clothes that Sirius had later decided to keep in the attic of his childhood home, along with a briefcase full of Pensieve. Strange, right?

Maybe the Pensieve would explain it. There had to be a way to see the memories. Somewhere in the Black’s collection of magical objects there must be.

There was a clatter of voices downstairs.

“Bruv, that shit was insane. Your whole house just-” An unfamiliar male voice made a noise clearly meant to describe Number 12 revealing itself from between Numbers 11 and 13.

“So, we’re just gonna stop off for a second, then-?”

“Yeah, just let me grab my backpack from my room. I’m all packed, I can go for days out of my backpack.” James’ footsteps fell heavily up the stairs and into his room before dashing back out again. “We can sit for a second if you want, before-” Harry recognized the exhausted edge to James’ voice.

“Hell no, we got places to be!” A loud, American voice interrupted. “Chug an energy drink or something, Jim, we’re gonna hit the road.”

“I’m fine, I’m good to go,” James defended. “It’s just that we  _ can  _ sit for a second, if we wanted.”

There was a whoop of twenty-something spirit before the front door slammed closed and the house grew quiet.

“Oi,” Albus called. “They left.” He pulled down the ladder with a squeak of old metal and blinked blearily up through the attic floor at Harry. “Dad.”

“Alright.” Harry gathered up the photographs and stuck them in the briefcase with the Pensieve bottles before climbing down. He cast a tired look at Albus before asking, “Do you know where they’re going?”

Albus made a face like he’d never heard such a stupid question. “I doubt  _ James  _ knows where they’re going.”

Harry sighed. “Well, do you know when they’ll be back?” he asked, knowing the answer already.

“Nope. He took his backpack, though.” Albus angled himself towards the door, not-so-subtly telling Harry to leave.

“Well, I’ll be in Berlin when he gets in.” He walked out into the hall.

Albus nodded from the doorway. “Or he’ll still be gone when you get back,” he muttered.

Harry didn’t bother to reply. It didn’t need to be a family fight again. “Goodnight, Al.”

“Mhm.” Albus closed the door and locked it with two distinct clicks.

“Is James gone?” Lily appeared behind Harry suddenly, causing him to jump in surprise.

“Oh, hello. Er- yeah. He just left.”

“Oh, good. Goodnight, Dad.” She turned towards her bedroom door.

“Oh, Lily-” Harry stopped her.

“Mm?”

“You don’t happen to know if we have something to view Pensieve in, do you?” He didn’t figure she did.

“Oh.” She looked surprised. “Sure, in my room. Did you want to bring it out, or did you just want to come in?” She opened her door.

Harry repressed a smile. At least one of his kids was still friendly. “I don’t want to bother you, could I just borrow it for tonight?”

“Yeah, as long as you need. I never use it anymore. Help me carry it out?” She pointed towards her room.

Lily’s room was flawlessly clean. Down to the hospital corners of her bedsheets, everything was in its perfect place. Harry looked around as he stepped in, love for his daughter fluttering in his chest. Amazing she didn’t behave like her brothers. If only he’d had all girls, perhaps it could have been this easy.

A heavy dish sat in the corner of her closet, the only thing to look slightly out of place. “Why do you have this?” He asked as they lifted it out of her room together.

“I was doing research for a moment there. I found this in the attic and thought I’d practice extracting my own memories. It’s more difficult than it sounds.” They walked down the stairs with the heavy plate between them.

“Were you ever able?”

“Yeah, loads of times. It’s a great way to clear your head.” They set it down carefully on top of the chest of drawers in Harry and Ginny’s bedroom. “Well, goodnight then. Good luck with…” She gestured at the Pensieve dish. “Good luck.”

“Thanks…” Harry called after her as she marched back up the stairs to her room.

“Oh, Pensieve? For what?” Ginny strode into the room, toothbrush sticking out of her mouth.

Harry showed her the photographs, explaining what he’d found.

“This isn’t you,” Ginny said, pointing at the baby in the picture she held. “It can’t be.”

“What?” Harry snatched the picture back from her, frowning at the baby’s familiar face. “Of course it is. How do you mean?”

“Well, you never left Godric’s Hollow, did you? You were in Fidelius for the first year and a half of your life, so this can’t be you. These were taken somewhere else.” She flipped through the other photos.

“Was it? No, it must be me. Who is it, then?” Harry squinted at the baby’s face like that might answer his questions. “It looks like me.”

Ginny appeared to consider for a moment. “I suppose…”

“What is it?”

Ginny shook her head. “See what the Pensieve shows, that might have your answer.”

“Oh, right.” Harry fished one of the bottles out of the briefcase. He poured it into the dish where it swirled in iridescent spirals. He hesitated. “Do you want to…?”

Ginny shrugged. “If you want me to.”

Harry nodded. “Yeah, if… if you don’t mind.” He didn’t want to watch alone. Something in his gut told him the memories were going to be significant. Ginny should watch with him.

Hand in hand, they took a deep breath and leaned forwards.

Out of the mist, a young Sirius Black appeared next to them. They seemed to be outdoors, sitting under a tree in a field bordered on all sides by woods. “He’s not coming,” Sirius announced boredly.

“You think?” Peter Pettigrew manifested out of the fog, sitting just a few paces away. He was chewing on his thumbnail nervously. “He said he would.”

Sirius shrugged. “Thoughts, Moony?”

Remus was standing a bit away, leaning heavily against a tree. He looked exhausted. Deep circles looked almost bruised beneath his eyes. “I don’t need him.”

“It’s the baby, I bet,” Peter mused. “He’s distracted by fatherhood.”

Sirius and Remus burst out laughing. “Fatherhood!” Sirius whooped. “Like hell. James isn’t a dad, he’s-”

“A child himself,” Remus supplied.

“Well, that’s the point, isn’t it?” Peter countered. “We’re all still just kids, we shouldn’t be expected to… to make the right choices all the time, or to handle pressure well, or… I dunno. We make mistakes. James makes mistakes.”

“A kid is one hell of a mistake.” Sirius shook his head and fished a cigarette out of his front pocket. “Especially now.” He lit the cigarette on the tip of his wand and exhaled slowly, looking like the world sat on his shoulders.

Peter grimaced anxiously. “What do you mean? Especially now?”

“War’s coming, fellas. Regulus just got marked.”

Peter paled. “You’re joking.” His eyes were wide as saucers. “He… So he actually met…”

Sirius nodded, taking a long draw and exhaling a cloud of smoke. “Alive and in person. Did it the second he turned seventeen, he couldn’t wait.”

Peter let out a slow breath. “That’s… that’s…”

“Nauseating?” Remus suggested.

“Embarrassing?” Sirius guessed.

“Terrifying,” Peter concluded.

A loud snap from the middle of the field caught everyone’s attention. “Oi, look alive, men!” James stood grinning at the lot of them, a baby perched dangerously on his hip.

“You shouldn’t apparate with infants,” Remus half-heartedly chastised, taking the baby from him.

“You shouldn’t have brought the baby!” Peter stood up, gaping at the child. “What happens when the moon comes out?”

“That’s where  _ you  _ come in.” James took the baby back from Remus and passing it to Peter. “I hate to ask, mate, but we  _ are  _ out of school now and we don’t need you to still the willow, so could you do me a huge favor and keep this for the night?”

Peter held the baby at arms length. “What? Why me?”

James laughed. “Well, Moony’s gonna be a bit… Moony, you know? And Sirius, mate, you’re a good guy, but…”

Sirius nodded his agreement. “I don’t want your fucking kid.”

“That, and your family’s Death Eaters, yeah? So maybe not the best environment for a baby.”

“Don’t need to tell  _ me _ that.” Sirius took another long drag on his cigarette.

“Well, but, I don’t- I mean, I-” Peter sputtered as James walked away from the discussion.

“So, like you said, before the moon comes up, yeah?” James sat down next to Sirius with a sigh of contentment. “Thanks, mate, I owe you.”

Peter appeared to give up, holding the baby close. “I… Alright. I’ll just… take it home, then?”

James nodded. “Yeah, it… it eats, I think. I dunno, I’m not responsible for that.”

Peter shook his head, addressing the baby. “Wouldn’t you rather be with Mummy?”

“Mummy’s a little busy right now.” James rolled his eyes. “She’s  _ intelligent,  _ apparently. Intelligent enough to ditch her kid to go to school, but not enough to keep her from getting knocked up in the first place.”

“That wasn’t entirely her fault, though, was it?” Remus looked down at him sternly.

“Paternity tests would agree with you there,” James conceded. “She chose to keep it, though, I don’t see why I should be dragged down too.”

Peter covered the baby’s ears. “Don’t say stuff like that.”

James shot him an annoyed glance. “It doesn’t speak fucking English yet, Wormtail, I can say whatever I want.”

“James…” Remus looked at him warningly.

“Be nice, he’s babysitting your rugrat.” Sirius grinned at Peter. “You’ll be a better dad than James no matter what you do, so don’t worry about it.”

Peter nodded. “That’s not a high bar.”

“I can raise a kid!” James defended himself. “Just… you know, not yet. I’m eighteen, I’m still-”

“Going through puberty,” Sirius interjected.

“Maturing,” James corrected. “I’ll be a good dad someday. After the war. Lily and I-”

“She’s still talking to you?” Remus asked, looking surprised.

_ “Yes,”  _ James insisted. “And we’re going to get married at some point. Then we can have a litter of kids and I’ll be a good dad.  _ After  _ the war.”

All four teenagers wore similar expressions of doubt.

James shook his head. “Take her home with you for tonight, Peter. Please. I need a fucking break and I can’t trust anybody else these days.”

Then, the memory ended.

Harry and Ginny looked at each other in silence.

Harry spoke first, figuring it was his job to say it out loud. “I have a sister.”

“It seems so.”

A sister. He had a sister. Why hadn’t anyone told him? Even if she wasn’t alive anymore, why had nobody ever said anything? Absently, he fished another bottle out of the briefcase and poured it into the dish. What an earth-shattering discovery. There must be more information about her somewhere. He could find her, right? At least, he could find out what happened to her. Right?

“Ready?” Ginny reached out to smooth down his hair, smiling a little sadly.

“Huh? Oh, yeah.” He took a deep breath and leaned forwards.

The memory began with a jarring  _ bang _ , followed by Sirius’ disembodied voice cursing loudly. The mist of the Pensieve swirled in confluence and created scenery. Sirius clutched his injured fist, scowling at a dent in the wall he had apparently punched into existence.

A child cried.

“What did you do?” Remus’ voice asked from another room. They seemed to be in the flat from the photographs. He walked quickly out of the kitchen to inspect the two-to-three-year-old girl.

Sirius shoved a bit of parchment in Remus’ face. “Guess who’s pregnant.”

“Not you, surely.” Remus took the parchment, scanning it quickly. “Lily?”

“Due in late July.” Sirius prodded the red marks on his knuckles and winced.

Remus nodded in grave understanding. “Are we supposed to congratulate them?”

“I don’t see why we should. I also don’t see what makes  _ Harry  _ different from Leah.” He ruffled the little girl’s hair.

“Harry?”

“The baby, apparently.” Sirius turned away. “He’s nineteen, and he already has a perfectly good kid he abandoned. Think he’s gonna keep Broken Condom number two?”

Remus guided Leah away from Sirius. “Why don’t you go play in the other room, sweetheart?”

Leah looked between the two men, eyes wide and confused. “I wanna know!”

Remus smiled at her. “Don’t worry, once I figure it out, I’ll come explain it to you.”

She nodded warily. “Okay.”

“No, hold on.” Sirius stopped her. “We should go pay them a visit. What do you think, Sidecar?” He addressed Leah. “Wanna go see James and Lily?”

Remus shot him a warning glance. “Don’t get her involved in your drama with James, Sirius.”

_ “My  _ drama?” Sirius asked incredulously. “He’s the one knocking up witches left and right. And then pawning off his bastard spawn on us.”

Remus huffed. “Alright, go in the other room, Leah. The adults need to have a talk.”

Leah shuffled off without a word, certainly sensing the tension even if she didn’t know what Sirius was really saying.

The second she was out of earshot Remus’ demeanor changed dramatically. “How dare you say those things to her face? She’s a child!”

“Yeah!  _ My  _ child! Thanks to James.”

“My child too, and I will not allow you to treat her that way.” He glanced at the door Leah had disappeared through. “Besides, you forfeited your right to complain when you agreed to be her godfather. You chose this, too.”

“Only because there was no other choice!” Sirius protested. “I wasn’t just going to let her wind up in some depressing orphanage just because James felt “constricted” by fatherhood.”

“So, maybe this is a good thing!” Remus tried to smile. “Maybe this is his way of saying he’s ready to be responsible. You can’t honestly think he’s going to leave Harry too.”

Sirius shrugged, looking away. “I don’t know anymore. I thought that after Rachel died James might step up for Leah. When he didn’t, I thought he must be about to leave Lily. Then he didn’t, and now they’re pregnant. It’s still a war, Remus. Anything could happen. Anything could happen to  _ us.  _ Then where will James keep his orphans?”

“Quit calling her that.” Remus frowned. “Leah’s fine. She’s happy. Harry will be fine, too.”

“You don’t know that.”

“We don’t know anything. But you should have a little faith in James. When the time comes, he’s going to be there for his kids.”

Sirius hesitated. “I don’t-”

“Plus,” Remus interrupted, “Harry is  _ Lily’s  _ kid. Not Rachel’s. Don’t you think she’ll be a good mum?”

“Rachel would have done if she hadn’t been AK’ed in the chest by Death Eaters,” Sirius countered half-heartedly.

Remus nodded sadly and took a step forwards, lowering his voice. “So let’s just be grateful Lily is alive and well. And maybe try to be happy for her? This is her  _ first  _ kid, after all. Don’t assume James’ track record applies to her too.”

Sirius nodded.

“So scream your anger at Voldemort, yeah? Not Leah. And maybe don’t punch the walls.” He put a hand on Sirius’ shoulder.

Sirius nodded again, and the two embraced as the memory faded.

Harry stood before the Pensieve, angry and nauseated.

“That was… prophetic,” Ginny said timidly.

Two more vials of Pensieve lay in the briefcase where Harry ignored them. No more. He couldn’t deal with any more that night. Maybe ever again. “Every time I learn something new about my father I like him a little less.”

Ginny laid a hand on his back, rubbing soothingly. “People have flaws.”

“I’m gonna go.” Harry turned around suddenly, snatching his trunk off the ground. “I’m not sleeping tonight anyway.”

“Harry…” Ginny called after him as he stormed out the door. “Fine. I’ll see you in a few days.”

“Mhm.” He closed the door behind him and glared at the floor like it had somehow wronged him. He continued to scowl at inanimate objects as he marched down the hall towards the door.

“Oh. Hello,” a non-familial voice spoke up.

He stopped short, confronted with a scene that took a moment to register in his brain.

“Dad. I thought you were asleep.” Albus and Scorpius were standing in the kitchen, looking quite like they’d been caught doing something they weren’t supposed to, though for the life of him, Harry couldn’t tell what that was.

Confused, he simply waved. “I’m just leaving.” He stopped short at the door, curiosity getting the better of him. “When did you get here?”

Scorpius looked at him oddly. “I was always here. Since two days ago, that is.”

Harry hesitated, debating whether or not to ask further questions. “Alright, then.” He stepped out the front door and shut it behind himself. He felt completely out of the loop. Nobody told him anything. Sometimes it felt like his family was falling apart, and he had no idea why. And on top of that, he now potentially had a new family member to worry about. Leah. Who was she? Where was she? What had happened?

Questions for another night, Harry decided. Berlin was waiting, and he had other things to be focussing on.


	2. The Call

An ornate ballroom was decorate in black, red, and gold. The colours of the German flag by intention, though it gave Harry the distinct impression that he was stepping back into school. Round tables stood equidistant from each other, laden with food and paperwork. Most people were sitting, although a few were walking around and chatting politely in quiet tones. The atmosphere of the whole place made Harry want to correct his posture.

The atmosphere at his table, on the other hand, made him want to crouch in secrecy. Political hopefuls kept approaching to exchange business cards and rub shoulders. Hermione’s presence didn’t help.

“I’ve been  _ trying  _ to convince Ron to come to one of these events, they’re so lovely.” She smiled around at the room. “Of course, his table manners leave something to be desired, but I think overall he might enjoy the travel and the company.”

“I didn’t even consider inviting Ginny,” Harry confessed. “I suppose I should do so next time.”

“You should! Especially next time we visit somewhere interesting. Rose wished she could come along, but she couldn’t take any time out of her schedule. You know, she’s translating now. Ancient Greek and Latin texts. I had no idea how complicated and fascinating the whole translation process was until she explained it to me.”

“I’m sure anything Rose chooses to invest her time in is complicated and fascinating. She’s got your brain, she’s sure to do well.” Harry twirled his fork between his fingers absently, ignoring his dinner.

“She’s certainly the least of my worries. Hugo, on the other hand, has been struggling with the motivation to do anything, I’m afraid.” She sighed, stabbing at a potato on her plate. “He’s been helping Ron around the shop, but I do wish he’d strive for something more.” She shook her head sadly. “But how have your children been? I haven’t seen Albus and James in a while. Lily still stops by for tea on occasion, but I haven’t heard anything about the boys.”

Harry sighed, wondering where to begin. Fortunately, he was interrupted before he had to say anything.

Unfortunately, it was by Draco Malfoy. “Potter, Granger.”

“Malfoy.” Harry frowned up at him. “What is it?”

Draco frowned back. “What do you mean,  _ ‘what is it?’  _ I’m here on business, same as you.”

“What business?”

“Actually, it’s none of yours, believe it or not.” He pulled out a chair and sat down next to Hermione. “I have the registry printed in triplicate, as well as the map of the museum with everything marked on it.” He opened a folder full of neatly stacked parchment labeled with an array of colours.

“Lovely.” Hermione took the folder from him and flipped through it. “Thank you for your compliance.”

“Obviously nothing could cross the border with me, so everything’s still at home. Guarded, of course, and protected with strong enchantments.” He hesitated, then looked to Harry. “My son isn’t at yours, is he?”

“He is,” Harry remembered. “Why?”

Draco cursed under his breath. “It’s a bit complicated getting into the Manor right now, I wondered if he would have trouble.”

“How come?”

Draco gestured at Hermione. “Potentially confidential. I’ll let her explain to you what she’s able.” He scanned the room quickly. “Is there anything else I forgot to mention here?” He nodded at the folder.

“It all seems perfectly in order, thank you.” Hermione nodded briefly as Draco stood up.

“Then I’m off. I’ll see you in Wiltshire this Sunday, correct?”

“That’s right.”

“Until Sunday, then. I’ll drop by and pick up Scorpius as well.” He gave them each one last glance and left.

“What was that about?” Harry peered at the file.

“We’re cataloguing all the magical artifacts in Malfoy Manor.” Hermione shut the folder quickly and stowed it away. “Their collection is quite expansive, and after the Time-Turner fiasco in 2020 I thought it wise to look into exactly what they had stashed away.”

“That was four years ago, why now?” Harry frowned.

Hermione looked surprised. “Well, Lucius wasn’t exactly a willing participant, so we had to wait for everything to be turned over to Draco.”

“When did that happen?”

Hermione managed to look even more surprised. “Last month. When he died.”

“Lucius Malfoy’s dead?” Harry said a little too loudly. A couple heads turned. “Nobody tells me anything.”

“You know, Harry, you could be a little more sociable and people might tell you more.” Hermione looked at him pointedly. “Opening up yourself always helps as well.”

That’s when Harry remembered. “Oh. I have a sister.”

_ “What?!”  _ Hermione shreeked. Several more heads turned. “How- how- how possibly could you- when did- what…” she sputtered for a moment before regaining her composure. “Explain.”

“Well, a half-sister I think. From my dad.”

“Okay.” Hermione leaned forwards, prompting him to continue.

“Older than me.”

“Yes, naturally.”

“Called Leah.”

Hermione stared at him silently for a solid ten seconds before she spoke. “How do you know?”

Harry took a deep breath and recounted the tale.

Hermione was dead silent the whole time he was talking, only ever nodding slightly to show she was listening. She leaned back in her chair once he’d finished, taking another moment of silence to ponder it over. “How do you feel?”

“What?”

“Feelings, Harry. I know you have them.”

Harry shrugged. “A little irked, to be honest. That nobody ever told me.”

“That’s understandable. What else?”

“What else?”

Hermione sighed. “Honestly, you and Ron both. What do you think? Do you want to try to find her?”

“I hadn’t really thought about it.”

“You hadn’t really thought about it,” she repeated flatly. “You may well have a sister somewhere on this great green earth and it never struck you to look for her?”

“Oi, I only found out she existed last night,” Harry defended himself. “Where would I even start? I’m not even certain her surname is Potter.”

“It might help to watch the rest of the memories,” Hermione suggested. “And then proceed from there, assuming you do actually want to find Leah.” She poked a bit at the food on her plate before giving up and pushing it away. “I can never eat properly at these functions.”

The rest of his time in Berlin was clouded by ruminating thoughts about Leah and her whereabouts. From meeting to meeting, his journals were vague business notes interspersed with theories about what might have happened. How might her life have played out overlapped with his own? Where was she when he was at school? Was it possible that they had actually met? Could she have simply been a year above him and they had just never noticed each other? Did she go to school at all? Where was she during the war? Why hadn’t she reached out to him?

The more he questioned, the more uneasy he felt. The simplest answer was right in front of his nose, and it was probably the most accurate. She had died at some point between those memories and 1991, when Harry first went to school. That answer made the most sense, however discouraging it was.

By the time he was ready to go home, he’d developed a headache that wouldn’t go away and a cough that sat uncomfortably in his chest. He had to stand still for a moment to let the nausea pass after he apparated on the corner of his street.

Being home wasn’t much help for his headache, either. The moment he stepped through the door he was met with calamity.

“-any reason why not!” James shouted as he stomped through the kitchen over to the staircase. “Albus gets to have Scorpius over, why not Clara?”

“I’m not discussing it any further, James!” Ginny planted her hands on her hips and called up the stairs to him. “Oh, hello. Welcome back.” She turned and noticed Harry standing with his trunk.

“Clara?” Harry asked dully.

“A girl he met, that’s all I know.” Ginny shook her head tiredly.

There was a loud bang, a screech, and a scuffle upstairs.

“WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR PROBLEM?!” Albus’ furious voice called out.

There was a knock on the door.

“I’ll get it,” Lily dashed forwards.

“James!” Albus.

“Albus!” Scorpius.

“Mum!” James.

“Mr. Malfoy.” Lily.

“What?” Harry spun around.

Draco raised an eyebrow from the doorway. “I’m just here to collect my son.”

James appeared at the top of the staircase, dragging along a struggling, shirtless Scorpius. “I told you so!” James called down to Ginny.

“It seems your eldest has done the work for me,” Draco quipped, looking amused. “But I do hope he arrived with more clothing than that.”

Albus stumbled into view, redressing himself as he staggered after his brother. “What the hell was that about?! Don’t just barge into my room like that, you prick!” He only then seemed to notice everyone downstairs looking up at him. “Shit.” He looked quickly between Scorpius, Draco, and Harry before apparently deciding his best bet was to bail. He dashed back off towards his room without another word and slammed the door closed behind him.

“Let go of him.” Harry instructed James, who thankfully did as he was told.

Scorpius struggled a bit for something to say, and eventually stuttered out, “I’ll just- just… Right. I’ll go get my… my things.” He hesitated briefly before taking off after Albus.

James scowled. “Alright, I’m out.” He stomped down the stairs and disappeared through the front door without any further explanation.

“What an idiot,” Lily quipped at her brother’s retreating form. She shook her head and sighed. “I’ll be in my room.”

She passed Scorpius as he reemerged at the top of the staircase a moment later, fully clothed and staring intently at the ground. “Okay.” He marched silently down the stairs and out the door, refusing to make eye contact with anyone.

“Until next time,” Draco greeted, a hint of humour in his voice.

Alone at last, Harry and Ginny looked at each other silently. She pointed at the kitchen, he at the bedroom, and they both nodded and went their own ways.

The Pensieve dish still sat on the chest of drawers, not an inch difference from where he’d left it. Unable to draw his eyes away from it yet unwilling to think about the potentials, Harry inspected the intricate designs on the outer sides of the dish, mulling over how it might have been created.

Before he’d exhausted his self-imposed curiosity about the dish, Ginny returned with a small glass of Firewhiskey in each hand. “I don’t believe that nurture is everything.” She handed him one of the glasses. “Sometimes people are just people regardless of their situation.”

Harry frowned. “I’m not worried about James. Or, I should say I don’t feel responsible for his poor choices.”

Ginny’s eyebrows drew together quickly. “Y-yes. At a certain point, I think we have to accept that young adults make mistakes. They make poor choices, and no amount of arguing is going to change them.”

Harry looked at his glass suspiciously. He had a strange feeling that perhaps Ginny was implying something else. “If he wants to run around with these random girls, I see no need to intervene. He’s twenty, he’s his own man.”

“And maybe he’ll mature. Given time. Don’t you think? He’s got plenty of underlying moral fibre.” She smiled coaxingly. “Don’t lose faith in James.”

Harry glanced briefly between Ginny and the Pensieve dish. “I think we should watch the last two memories.”

“I think that’s a good idea,” Ginny agreed. “But we don’t have to do it now if you don’t want to.”

Harry shook his head. “I think we should.” He opened the briefcase with a click and withdrew one of the remaining two vials. He uncorked it with his wand and poured the contents into the dish. “Together?”

Ginny nodded. “Of course.” She took his hand and the two leaned forwards, holding their breaths in anticipation.

The silvery liquid transformed into darkness interrupted by two bright headlights. A motor growled through the starry night that came into being around them, and a gut wrenching cry came from the leather-clad and exhausted looking figure of Sirius Black. He stopped his motorbike with a screech in front of Harry’s familiar Godric’s Hollow home. He toppled off his bike into a heap on the floor and didn’t stand up. Leah sat in the sidecar, looking distressed and confused.

“Where’s Harry?” she asked, staring uncomprehendingly at the smoking wreckage of the Potter house.

Sirius just sobbed, lying prone on the sidewalk.

“Sirius? Sirius Black?” a gruff voice sounded in the distance.

Sirius gasped, looking up. A giant, dark silhouette appeared at the end of the block.

“I thought it was you, seein’ yer bike fall outta the sky, I knew it had ter be none other than Sirius Black.” Smiling sadly, Hagrid walked forwards and lifted Sirius to his feet. A small bundle of blankets was tucked neatly in the crook of his arm.

Sirius’ eyes were wide, not a shred of understanding in them. “But…”

“Ye’d best be getting away now, I reckon,” Hagrid advised, looking around the street. “Who knows how far  _ you know who  _ might be.” He shuddered. “An’ I’m off ter deliver Harry to his auntie and uncle’s. Dumbledore’s request and all.” He looked a bit chuffed beneath the grief in his shoulders. “I’m so sorry for yer loss, son.”

Sirius’ mouth hung open dully. “They… they’re dead.”

Hagrid’s bushy eyebrows drew together. “I’m afraid so.”

Sirius’ eyes lost focus. “Lily is…”

Hagrid’s grave silence said it all.

Sirius’ lower lip trembled. “But James isn’t… right?”

Hagrid looked away.

Tears flowed freely down Sirius’ cheeks as he whispered, “I’ll kill him.”

Hagrid patted him on the shoulder, almost forcing Sirius to his knees. “You’ll do no such thing.  _ You know who  _ is nothin’ ter contend with.”

A slow smile spread across Sirius’ face. It didn’t reach his eyes. “Peter. He’s dead. At my hand. This time tomorrow.”

Hagrid took a step back. “Pettigrew, you can’t mean…”

Sirius nodded. “I’ll kill him.” His eyes widened. “Remus… You don’t think he…” He staggered backwards. “Remus, too. He betrayed James and Lily. I didn’t think he’d actually do it.”

Hagrid glanced at the motorbike. “Have you got a child in there?” Carefully, he edged around Sirius and extracted Leah from the sidecar. “Hallo, young’un. Why don’t you come with us?” He escorted Leah a couple metres away from Sirius.

Sirius didn’t seem to notice. “I’m going to kill them both and then myself…” he whispered, barely audible.

“What’s that?” Hagrid frowned at Sirius. “Who is this little girl?”

Sirius finally seemed to snap back to reality. “She’s nobody’s. Her parents were killed, I don’t know what to do with her.”

Hagrid looked sympathetically at Leah. “Well, I’m just off to take little Harry off to his new home. I could take this one somewhere as well.”

A strange, indecipherable look came over Sirius’ face. “Yeah… Here, take my bike. Put the kids in the sidecar, take them away.”

Hagrid shifted uncomfortably for a moment before seeming to shake it off and walk over to the bike. “Anywhere you had in mind?”

Sirius shook his head. “Drop her at the firestation if you have to.” His voice was weak. He took a few shaking steps towards the Potter house. “They’re coming for me. They’re gonna think I did this…”

“Well, I’d best be off,” Hagrid announced, apparently not having heard Sirius. “What’s your name, little one?”

“Leah!” Leah shouted her answer.

“Potter.” Sirius added, eyes still fixed on the ruins. “No relation.”

“Well, I’ll make sure she’s seen to.” Hagrid picked Leah up and carefully arranged both her and Harry in the sidecar. “So it just…” He sat down and revved the engine. “Jus’ like that, then.”

Sirius nodded. “See ya.”

“Sirius?” Leah asked, looking confused. “Where am I going?”

“A better life, kid. Way better.” He cleared his throat a few times. “Alright, head out. Get them out of here.”

“I’ll see you around, then, Sirius. Be meeting you at the Order in a few days.”

Sirius nodded dully. “Mhm.”

Hagrid, the motorbike, and the two children disappeared into the night as Sirius continued to stare blindly at the wreckage. As soon as the hum of the motor faded away to silence, Sirius stuck a shaking hand inside his jacket and withdrew a flask. He toasted the remains of the house and poured out a shot of brown liquid onto the grass.

“Life is fucking stupid anyways, Jamie,” he said softly before quickly downing the rest of the alcohol. The tremor in his hands only increased, and he struggled to pocket the empty flask before bending over sharply, convulsing, and vomiting up everything he’d just drank.

Harry and Ginny made sombre eye-contact as the memory faded and they returned to their bedroom.

Silently, Harry picked up his neglected glass of Firewhiskey and drained it all in one go. He stared at the Pensieve dish until the alcohol hit him square in the face and he felt better. “I want to find her.”

Ginny was facing away. If her voice wasn’t so steady, Harry would have thought she was crying. “Well, it looks like we have a lead.”

 

*******

 

Despite his six years of living there in the nineties, the weather of Scotland surprised Harry every time he visited. He pulled his jacket a little tighter around his shoulders as he looked out over the green hills and silver frost that was the Hogwarts grounds.

“Harry!” Turning sharply, Harry found himself squinting off into the distance at a large but blurry figure.

He waved back, not wanting to shout that far, and crunched through the frozen grass over to Hagrid’s hut. “How’s it going then, Hagrid?” he greeted.

Hagrid clapped a hand on his shoulder, almost knocking the wind out of Harry’s lungs. “Can’t complain, can’t complain. Sure is good to see you out and about, son. It’s been a moment, hasn’t it?”

Harry grinned sheepishly. “I should say so.”

“Well, all’s well that ends well. Come on in and get warmed up.” He opened the door with a creak and ducked inside.

Harry followed, nerves mounting with each step.

“So, I have teh say I was a bit confused by yer letter there.” He pointed at the kitchen counter, where the letter in question sat flattened from repeated readings.

“Er- yes, right.” Harry took a seat at the small, round table. “Well, I’m a bit confused myself to be quite honest.”

Hagrid set down a warm mug of brandy in front of each of them and sat down on the other side of the table. “Well, I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t figure out.”

Nodding, Harry struggled to think of how to phrase it. “It’s about the night my parents died.”

Hagrid’s expression shifted instantly. “Oh?”

“There was a little girl, wasn’t there? Called Leah.”

Recollection dawned slowly in Hagrid’s eyes. “There certainly was indeed. A young orphan, not unlike yerself that night. I never knew who she’d belonged to.”

“She was my sister. Half-sister. Dad’s- James’ daughter,” Harry stumbled through an explanation.

Hagrid leaned back in his seat, shock at the news written into every line on his face. “She wasn’t.”

“I’ve only just found out myself.” Harry turned his mug around on the table. “I’d like to know what happened to her.”

Hagrid shook his head slowly, his eyes fixed on a blind point in the distance. “Sirius gave her to me.”

“My impression is that he and Professor Lupin were her guardians. I guess they used to live together before…” He fumbled for an ending to that sentence momentarily. “Before,” he settled.

“Leah Potter.”

“That’s right. What happened to her?”

Hagrid drained his mug and poured himself another. “Before I delivered yeh to yer aunt and uncle’s, I took her by the Leaky Cauldron. Keeper there, yeh know Tom, said he’d look after her while I took you ter Dumbledore. Came back later that night, ready teh pick Leah up and find her a place teh stay. Tom said he knew of a home for young witches and wizards orphaned during the war, offered teh take her there.”

Harry was unconsciously leaning forwards in his seat. “And?”

“And I’d have teh guess that’s where he took her.”

“But…” Harry frowned. “But she never came to Hogwarts, did she? I would have known her, surely.”

Hagrid shook his head. “If she did, I didn’t know her.”

Harry considered that quietly.

“If I’d known…” Hagrid clasped his hands on the table, staring down at them solemnly.

“You don’t by any chance know the name of the place Tom took her, do you?”

“Never heard a whisper after that night. Didn’t know ter be looking out. There were so many orphans in those days.”

Harry nodded. “Alright.”

Hagrid hesitated. “Although… if anyone knows anything, it’d be Longbottom.”

That was not a phrase Harry ever expected to hear. In any context. “Really?”

“Hannah and Neville run the Leaky Cauldron now, they’re the ones with the connections.” A bell rang in the corner, and Hagrid stood in reaction. “Biscuits must be done.”

Harry pondered the implications of this new information as Hagrid busied himself with the biscuits. Leah had been sent to an orphanage. His knee-jerk reaction was to be disgusted. Of course, it wasn’t like Leah had been presented with many other options. As cold as Sirius had seemed turning her over to strangers, it was probably the best call. The very next day, Sirius would attack Peter and wind up in prison. Remus alone, descending into poverty as the war progressed around him, was not a safe place for a child to be. Also, Sirius had assumed they’d all be dead within 24 hours. Harry clung to that thought in an attempt not to place blame on the shoulders of his dead godfather. He’d made the best choice he could at the time.

“It’s been quiet without the Potters around to cause trouble.” Hagrid laughed as he sat down with a plate of cooling biscuits. “I imagine I’ll be getting a break before the grandchildren come along.”

The sudden change of topic snapped Harry out of his reverie. “Yes, I don’t think Lily will be settling down anytime soon. She’s an ambitious one.”

“And the boys?”

Oh, right. He’d almost forgotten that was a possibility. Grandchildren from James seemed highly likely by simple accident alone. Not that he was going to encourage such behavior. It hadn’t worked out for James Sr., after all. “I’m encouraging James to mature a bit first. I dunno about Al. He’s always alone, he doesn’t speak to anyone. If there’s a girl in his life, I wouldn’t know about her.”

“Somehow I’ve got me doubts...” Hagrid smiled. “But I suppose we’ll just see, won’t we?” He prodded at a biscuit, testing its cooling status. “So, he’s not hanging around Malfoy anymore, then?”

“No, he is. Scorpius was just at our house for a week when I was in Berlin.”

“Oh, well there’s yer answer, then, eh?” Hagrid looked surprised as he sorted biscuits onto plates. “There’s not a girl in his life if he’s still with Malfoy.”

Harry stared, uncomprehending. “How do you mean?”

The question seemed to confuse Hagrid. “Well, I don’t make it my business, teenage romance and that. But I just can’t imagine Malfoy’d be too pleased to find out there  _ was  _ a girl in Albus’ life.”

Harry still didn’t get it. “Why not?”

Hagrid hesitated, looking uncertain. “Maybe things have changed ‘n all, but I would’ve thought that’d be called cheating.”

Harry took a moment to put everything together. When it clicked, he found himself at a loss for words. How was it that he hadn’t known? Nobody told him anything. He should have known before Hagrid, surely. Unless… even back when they were in school they must have been… which is why Hagrid knew. Why didn’t anyone in his family know? Lily was certainly perceptive enough. So was James. Perhaps it was just ridiculous enough that they hadn’t put together the puzzle pieces either. What would he say to Ginny? He needed to say  _ something,  _ right? Anger and embarrassment colored his cheeks, and he decided the best response was to pretend like he had already known. “I suppose it would… Because they’re together. Albus and Scorpius.”

“At least he’s nothing like his father, eh?” Hagrid tried to joke as he passed Harry a biscuit. “He’s a good kid, Scorpius.”

The rest of their visit didn’t stick properly in Harry’s memory. More and more obvious tells kept occurring to him, which only served to heighten his anger. When they parted ways, Harry felt like he’d run a mile.

“So?” Ginny sat at the dinner table back home, a mug of tea in her hand and the newspaper spread in front of her.

“Is Albus gay?” Harry blurted out, unable to stop himself.

Ginny stared at him for a moment before setting down her mug and folding up the paper. “Please tell me you’re not just now learning this.”

“You  _ knew?!”  _ He gaped at her.

“You didn’t?” She crossed her arms.

“Of course not!”

Ginny shushed him, looking nervously around the room. “Calm down.”

Harry didn’t want to calm down. He wanted to yell at everyone and demand there be no more secrets. “No, I need to talk to him.”

“That’s a terrible idea. Calm down first.” Ginny walked quickly over to him, putting a calming hand on his shoulder. “Give it a moment.”

“No, I’m done.” Harry pulled away. “No more secrets in this family.” He turned to call up the stairs. “ALBUS SEVERUS POTTER, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!”

“Stop it!” Ginny tugged on his arm frantically. “It wasn’t a secret, Harry! Nobody’s lying to you.”

Lily and James appeared at the top of the stairs, ready to watch the drama.

“ALBUS!” Harry called again.

“FUCKING WHAT?!” Albus called back. He walked out a moment later. “I didn’t do anything!”

“Go back to your room,” Ginny warned him. “You’re right. You didn’t do anything. You’re not in trouble.”

Albus hesitated. “But…”

“Are you dating Scorpius Malfoy?” Harry asked before Albus could disappear.

Albus paled. “No…”

Harry saw red. “Don’t fucking lie to me!”

Lily and James stepped forwards to stand in front of Albus.

“Dad…” Lily whispered. “Please don’t do this.”

His whole family was turning on him. They saw him as the bad guy. Harry couldn’t breathe. “I’m sick of the secrets and lies in this family. Just tell me the truth!”

“He didn’t know…” James marveled to Lily.

It was like a punch in the gut. “You both knew?”

His other two children nodded. There was a clatter of footfall, and James and Lily stepped away. Albus slammed the door to his room and was gone.

Harry turned to Ginny to defend himself. “He never told me. Aren’t they supposed to come out of the closet?”

“Why should he?” Lily screeched from the top of the stairs. “Why should he have to? And seeing your reaction, I understand why he didn’t!” She covered her face as a sob broke through her voice. She turned on her heel. “Everyone in this family is so angry all the time, it’s horrible!” she muttered loudly to herself as she stormed back off to her room.

“Shit, Dad. That was intense.” James ran his fingers through his hair, his eyes wide.

“Go to your room, James,” Ginny instructed tiredly.

“Gladly. Fuck.” He shook his head and marched off.

Ginny glared at Harry. “How dare you?”

Harry was stunned. “Me? What about him?!”

Ginny pointed firmly at the door. “Go away. I don’t want to look at you.”

“You’re joking.”

She was not. She stomped angrily over to the front door and opened it for him. “Get out. Don’t come back until you can be civil.”

Shocked into silence, Harry walked numbly out the door, barely hearing it slam in his face. Fine. If they were going to be that way, then he was going to put his effort into the remaining member of his family who didn’t think he was scum. Besides, it would be nice to have a drink at the Leaky Cauldron after all this. He could use it.

He left Grimmauld place behind with a snap, almost glad for the psychedelic funnel of disapparition that forced his mind off his son. Besides, if James and Lily were going to stick with their brother, Harry was going to stick with his sister. That is, once he managed to find her.


	3. The Threshold

The Leaky Cauldron looked brighter under Hannah’s management. It seemed cleaner, too. Harry was sat down at a barstool, ignoring like he always did the people staring at him. The whispers were lessening as time moved on, but the staring never diminished.

“I know exactly what you’re talking about.” Hannah said, much to Harry’s surprise. “I know exactly the place. It’s a foster care center called Meter Theon’s home for orphaned and endangered children. It’s now run by a woman called Ida. I can give you the address if you like.”

Harry fumbled for words. “Er- yeah! Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks, Hannah.”

“Of course.” She fished a quill and a scrap of parchment from a drawer and scratched out the street address. “The Leaky Cauldron has historically been a place of refuge for the resistance against dark wizards. Back during Grindelwald’s era, we established ties with Meter Theon and have maintained that relationship ever since.”

“Wow. I had no idea.” Harry read the address on the parchment. “It’s close to here, then?”

“Yes, very.” She leaned in and lowered her voice. “There’s a system of tunnels connecting the Leaky Cauldron to the basement of Meter Theon’s as well as several other safe places. They’ve been mostly out of use for years, thankfully.”

“That’s amazing.”

“Absolutely secret, of course.” Hannah leaned back, voice returning to a normal volume. “But you  _ are  _ Harry Potter.”

Harry sighed. “I’m afraid so.” He paid his tab and stood. “Thank you, Hannah. It means a lot.”

“Good luck, Harry.”

The place was only a ten minute walk, close as Hannah promised. He stood outside the iron gates for only seconds before someone bustled out of the house and over to him.

“Harry Potter. I wondered if I’d ever see you here.” An elderly woman smiled as she unlocked the gate. “Do come in.”

“Oh,” Harry answered, taken aback. “Alright.” He followed as she shuffled back towards the door to the ancient-looking house.

“Ida Montis,” she introduced herself. “Caretaker to many, mother to none.” She opened the door to reveal a cozy home decorated with wooden furniture and children’s artwork. The children themselves were dashing about every which way, but stopped when they saw Harry. Instantly, whispers erupted. He caught his name being said several times. Ida stood in front of the children, facing Harry. “How can I help you?”

Harry took a moment to collect his thoughts. “Erm… I’m looking for someone. Someone who I think used to live here.”

Ida frowned. “I see. That could be potentially tricky, Mr. Potter.” She hummed, clasping her hands together. “Why don’t you step into my office?”

Harry followed her into a small room that had nothing but a desk and some filing cabinets. He took a seat opposite her at the desk.

“Do you know the name of the person?”

Harry nodded. “Leah Potter.”

A slow smile spread across Ida’s face. “Leah Potter.” She nodded. “She was here.”

Relief relaxed Harry’s shoulders. It wasn’t a dead end. This might even be easy. “She’s my sister. I want to know what happened to her.”

“Your sister.” Ida nodded. “Decades ago, she arrived. I remember it well. It was a historic night, after all. The night Voldemort disappeared for the first time. She was brought to me by the man who ran the Leaky Cauldron at the time. You might have known Tom? He said he knew nothing but her name. Leah told me stories, but she was never the most reliable child when it came to the truth. So I never really knew for certain where she’d been the first few years of her life.”

Harry spent the next few minutes telling her everything he knew. Ida paid close attention to every word, nodding along with the story. He concluded, “And so I’m trying to find out what happened next.”

Ida’s eyes looked tearful. “I’m glad you told me all of this. Here I was thinking the poor girl had been abused. I assumed Tom had gotten her from someone attempting to save her from her previous home.” She reached into a drawer in her desk and took out a tissue, dabbing at her eyes. “I’d be happy to share with you everything I know, Mr. Potter, but I’m not certain what happened to her after she left my care.”

Harry’s heart sank. “So you don’t know where she is now?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Harry nodded. “I see. Well, anything you can tell me about her would be much appreciated.”

Ida smiled warmly. “Leah was a happy child. When she first arrived, she was quite popular with the other children. She had plenty of friends, and I never heard a soul whisper a bad word about her. She was imaginative, and always busy with the little games she’d play. I used to say Leah could never be bored, because she could entertain herself for hours with a rock and a stick. Brilliant girl as well. Seven years old, and she was already largely in control of her magic.” Ida’s smile faded. “But things started to change. As her magical abilities continued to develop, she became more and more isolated from the other children. As a result, she created imaginary friends. She used to paint pictures of them, some of which I’m sure I still have. Leah preferred the company of her imaginary companions more than the other children. She didn’t deem them an intellectual match for herself. I always figured she’d come out of her shell once she got to Hogwarts.”

“So she did?” Harry asked, on the edge of his seat. He was clinging to every word. “She went to Hogwarts?”

“For a while.” Ida nodded. “She didn’t like it. I got reports of misbehavior several times per month. She talked back to her professors, didn’t show up for class, and refused to do her homework. She was perpetually in detention, and towards the end her professors were struggling to get her to even show up for that. She was eventually expelled in her fourth year.”

“Fourth year…” Harry frowned. “But I would have known her. I would have been twelve, I was there.”

“I’m sure you were. Leah didn’t have many friends, and I think it’s probably unlikely she would have introduced herself to you, even if she knew your relation.” Ida folded her hands on her desk. “Leah ran away shortly after her expulsion, and I never saw her again.”

The news sounded like thunder in his ears. He felt guilty. Like he should have known. He should have somehow known and introduced himself. Another thought struck him. “None of the professors knew who she was to me?”

“I was explicitly told she wasn’t related to you,” Ida explained. “Potter isn’t an uncommon surname. That and the fact that she arrived at the home on the same day your parents passed away only strengthened my conviction that she wasn’t of any relation. I assumed that if she was, you would have been with her. I didn’t imagine they’d separate the two of you.”

Harry felt crushed. “So there’s no way to find her.”

Ida hesitated. “I have no firm information.”

Harry frowned. “What does that mean?”

“I heard stories, after she’d run away. She kept in contact with one of the other children.”

“Who?” Harry leaned forwards, hopeful again.

“I’m afraid I can’t release his name.”

Harry groaned before he could stop himself, deflating.

“But-”

Back to hopeful, Harry was getting whiplash. “But?”

“I can contact him for you. If you’re willing to disclose your name and relation to Leah, I can send him an owl.”

“Yes!” Harry said a little too loudly. “Please,” he softened his voice.

The rest of his visit to Meter Theon was quills scratching out contact information and signatures on release forms. Standing outside the iron gates of the home, Harry felt accomplished. Slowly but surely he was getting somewhere. It was like he was tracing Leah’s history, reliving her mysterious life, and the more he learned about her the more real she became. Maybe in the end she’d actually appear, really real, and the two estranged sibling’s lives would finally overlap.

Harry almost apparated home before he remembered he wasn’t welcome. Biting back his anger, he returned to the Leaky Cauldron instead, in time to see Neville standing behind the bar, talking with Hannah.

“Oi, Neville!” Harry called out, glad to see him.

It took Neville’s eyes a long time to meet Harry’s. He looked confused. “Huh?” Then, recognition struck him. “Harry!” He grinned, dashing around the bar to greet him. “Good to see you! I missed you earlier, I guess. Hannah tells me you’ve got a sister. That’s completely mad, isn’t it?”

“That it is,” Harry agreed. “And I think I’m getting closer to finding her.”

“Wow.” Neville shook his head, looking stunned. “Wow. What’s her name, do you know?”

“Leah.” Harry smiled, the name finally sounding right in his head. She was real. Leah.

Neville’s smile, on the other hand, faded. “Leah, you said? Not Leah Potter, though?”

Harry’s breath caught. “Don’t tell me you know her.”

“I don’t.” Neville shook his head quickly. “But I know that name.”

Harry’s heart missed a beat. “Where?”

Neville scanned the bar quickly. “It… it might not be her. It probably isn’t. It’s a common name, wouldn’t you say?”

_ “Where?”  _ Harry repeated.

Neville looked at the ground. “Knockturn Alley.”

Harry felt like the floor had been ripped out from under him. “Knockturn Alley,” he repeated just to be sure. “What’s she doing at Knockturn Alley?”

“I… I don’t know if she’s actually  _ there,  _ that’s just where people talk about her. Or, I should say, that’s where I’ve  _ heard  _ people talking about her.” Neville didn’t quite answer the question, nor did he make eye contact.

“Well, what were  _ you  _ doing there that Leah was brought up?” Harry tried and failed to keep the accusation out of his voice.

“It was a long time ago, Harry, before I was a professor.” Neville looked up, afraid.

“You’re not answering my questions,” Harry pointed out, frustrated.

“You’re a cop,” Neville pointed out in return. “And I don’t know anything. If you really want to, I guess I’d suggest just asking shopkeepers around that area.”

Harry swallowed a million angry retorts and just sighed. “Yeah. I suppose I’ll wait and see if anyone from Meter Theon contacts me. If not, maybe I’ll try that. Thanks, Neville, that’s helpful.” He pressed his fingers firmly against his temples, trying to fight back an encroaching headache. “I’m gonna need a room for tonight, I think. And… if you could refrain from telling anyone I’m here, I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh.” Neville looked over his shoulder to Hannah. “Sure. I’ll just… I’ll go let Hannah know.”

“Thanks, mate.”

“No problem.” He walked away, uncertainty still in his eyes.

Later, left alone with his thoughts in an empty hotel room, Harry felt like he was going insane. Leah’s presence was like a ghost in his life. All along, all the pieces of the puzzle had been there and he’d just never put them together. Because nobody had thought to let him know there was a puzzle to be solved. But wasn’t that just his life, though? Nobody ever told him anything. The Dursleys, Dumbledore, Sirius and Remus, Albus… Even Neville seemed to have secrets he didn’t trust Harry with. Why not? What was it about him that made people withhold information? He was always out of the loop, more so than anyone else it seemed. It all gave Harry the unnerving impression that some puppetmaster somewhere was pulling his strings. Paranoia, certainly, but chilling all the same. He just wanted transparency. That was all. It shouldn’t be so hard.

He spent two nights at the Leaky Cauldron, unwilling to go home and face the consequences. He might even have stayed for a third if it wasn’t for the surprise visitor he encountered.

At nine AM on the dot, there was a knock on the door to Harry’s hotel room. He woke from sleep suddenly with a gasp, and scrambled for his glasses before stumbling over to the door and opening it. It took him a second to come to terms with what he was seeing.

“You look like shit. Can I come in?” Draco Malfoy stood at the threshold, scanning Harry from head to toe with judgement in his eyes.

“Why are you here?” Harry asked, flummoxed.

“You invited me,” Draco responded, surprised. He peered over Harry’s shoulder into the messy room. “Merlin, have you been here for weeks?”

“Two days.” Harry stood firm in the doorway, hoping that maybe Malfoy would just go away. “I didn’t invite you, what are you talking about?”

Draco held up a bit of parchment. “Ida Montis did. I went to your house, but I guess your wife kicked you out.”

Questions overwhelmed Harry’s mind, and he wasn’t sure where to begin. “Ida Montis?” It hit him. “No fucking way.”

“Indeed. So can I come in?”

“How did you find me?” Harry frowned.

“You’re easier to find than your sister.”

That shut Harry up. “Alright, then.”

“So.” Draco looked pointedly at the hotel room. “Can I come in?”

Harry stepped to the side, nodding mutely. Draco scanned the room with distaste before sitting down in one of two chairs by the window. Harry sat down in the other. “I’m supposed to believe you were an orphan at Meter Theon?”

Draco shrugged. “You believe whatever you want.”

“But…” It didn’t make any sense. “You have parents. And money. And relatives. I don’t get it.”

Draco frowned. “Are we here to talk about me or Leah?”

“Both, I guess!” Harry ran a hand over his face, wondering if he was perhaps still asleep and dreaming. “Even I wasn’t sent to an orphanage, why were you there?”

“That’s really none of your business,” Draco said firmly. “Despite what you may believe, my childhood wasn’t flawless. I wasn’t there for long, but I did meet Leah during that time. I knew her at Hogwarts, too, she was in Slytherin two years above me.”

“She was a Slytherin?” Harry swallowed that bit of information with some difficulty.

“Perhaps it runs in the family,” Draco said pointedly.

Right. “Speaking of Albus-”

“No, speaking of  _ Leah,”  _ Draco interrupted. “I’m not here to get involved in your family matters.”

Harry laughed mirthlessly. “You may not have a choice. If Scorpius and-”

_ “Leah,”  _ Draco insisted. “I’m here to tell you about Leah. That’s all.”

Harry bit back a frustrated sigh. “Alright. Yes, tell me about Leah.”

“I can show you where she is, if you like,” Draco said in such a casual way Harry almost didn’t realize the importance.

“Really?” Harry’s stomach flipped with nervous excitement. “You know where she is?”

“I wouldn’t be here otherwise.” Draco rolled his eyes. “You should…” He inspected Harry disapprovingly. “Shower and change before we go.”

“What, today?” Harry almost fell out of his seat.

“Unless you have other plans?” Draco raised an eyebrow.

Harry stood sharply. “Give me ten minutes.”

Draco wrinkled his nose. “I’ll give you twenty. You need it.” He stood and strode towards the door. “Meet me at the bar.”

“Great!” Harry dashed off into the shower, his heart thrumming in his chest. Leah was alive! And Harry was going to meet her! Maybe he could even take her back to meet the rest of his family. Introduce her to Ginny and the kids. Maybe meeting her would make them forget about the fight they’d had.

Scrubbed up and dressed as nicely as he ever was, Harry restrained himself from running downstairs to the bar. Draco was sitting with a book open on his knees, ignoring the people who were staring at him.

“Ready.” Harry announced himself.

Draco nodded and closed his book. “We’re off, then.” He held out his arm.

“What?” Harry just stared, confused by the gesture.

“Well, we’re not very well going to take a train.” Draco looked at him, exasperated.

“Oh!” Harry figured out what was going on and reached out to take his arm. The second he made contact, the world spun sickeningly and he appeared on a dingy street corner in front of a nondescript warehouse. “What’s this?”

“Don’t talk.” Draco pulled his arm away and walked up to the front door. He knocked four times, and a large man stepped out.

“What?” He squinted at Draco, then at Harry. “Seriously?” He looked at Draco skeptically.

“Tell Leah I’m here with someone she should meet.”

The man glared at Harry. “I’ll tell her it’s Harry Potter, she still won’t care.”

“Tell her it’s  _ me,  _ you imbecile.” Draco scowled at the man. “That’s right, though. It’s Harry Potter. Harry  _ Potter.  _ Get it?”

“No.”

“Useless,” Draco spat. “Just go get Leah.”

The man hesitated, then shut the door again.

“Where are we?” Harry looked around.

“Knockturn Alley.” Draco was still scowling at the door. “Keep your expectations low.”

“Why? What’s going to happen?”

Draco shook his head. “I haven’t seen her in person for years. I don’t know.”

A moment later, the door opened again, and the man waved Harry and Draco inside. The place was dark, and low music vibrated more in the floorboards than with actual sound. Dim lights of various colors glowed weakly from the ceiling, giving everyone inside an eerie sort of glow. There were lots of people milling about, and none of them looked the sort Hary should talk to.

“She’s around,” the large man said vaguely before stalking away.

People skittered away from Harry like they thought they might be burned. Several hissed awful things while others just leered. It was the other side, Harry realized. He was standing in a room full of people who saw him not as ‘The Boy Who Lived,’ but as an Auror come to raid their club. Criminals came to this place, and Harry was a foreign invader. He wasn’t welcome.

This put Harry in the novel position of allying himself with Draco. It was strange, and the cognitive dissonance was confusing. Yet, Draco seemed to know what he was doing, so Harry followed along.

“You’re Harry Potter.” A young man with dark hair and blown pupils gaped at Harry in amazement. He reached out as if to touch, but yanked his hand back at the last second. “You’re an Auror.”

“He’s with me.” Draco stepped forwards, quickly shutting up the stranger.

The strange kid frowned suspiciously. “And are you with me?” He pulled back his left sleeve, revealing a Dark Mark that must have been tattooed on after Voldemort’s death. It wasn’t real, clearly. All of the real Dark Marks were more faded, and looked similar to scars.

Draco scowled and pulled the kid’s sleeve back down. “You’re disgusting.”

The kid grinned brashly. “So you’ve abandoned the cause, then, Malfoy?”

Draco stared him down until his grin faded. “Stupid children mark themselves. You didn’t earn that.”

The kid shrugged. “Just proving my loyalty. Now, I’ve showed you mine, you show me yours.”

Draco scoffed and turned away. “You’re not worth my time.”

The kid moved to draw his wand, but Draco was faster. Within seconds, the kid was flat on his back, gasping for breath. Draco stood over him, wand pointed threateningly at the kid’s chest.

“You know nothing.” He kicked the kid’s wand out of the way before pocketing his own and removing his jacket. His left arm was tattooed from shoulder to wrist in intricate patterns, depictions of flora and fauna Harry couldn’t quite identify in the dim light. Still, the Dark Mark was visible on his forearm. It seemed that despite the detailed inking on the rest of his arm, Draco hadn’t wanted to cover the mark itself. Instead, it folded into the rest of the artwork; separate, yet a part of the greater whole.

“Draco Malfoy…” a female voice spoke up softly.

Harry turned around sharply to find himself face to face with a familiar set of hazel eyes that sparkled mischievously above lightly freckled cheeks.

“I like what you’ve done there.” She nodded at Draco’s arm before her gaze switched to Harry. “Hello.”

Harry could have sworn his heart had actually stopped beating. He opened his mouth, but couldn’t find any words.

“I’m Leah. I hear you’re looking for me.”


	4. The Challenges

Leah Potter stood out from the rest of the people in the club due to her strange choice of clothing. A blank, grey t-shirt three sizes too big made her already slender frame look harshly skinny. Bare feet stuck out of the bottoms of loose trousers that were covered in so many patches that they looked like a quilt stitched haphazardly together. Thick black hair that didn’t look as though it had been brushed in weeks was barely kept out of her eyes by a blue and yellow bandana that had been worn for far too long and was fraying on all edges. Two different jackets were tied around her waist, and a third hung over her shoulders. Harry thought she looked somewhat like a pile of dirty laundry.

“Leah…” Harry gazed at her in wonder, hardly able to believe what was happening. “I… I’m Harry. Harry Potter. I’m your brother.”

She tilted her head at him. “Oh, alright.” She hummed to herself. “So you’re not a drug dealer or anything?”

“What?” Harry blinked, taken aback. “N-no. I’m James Potter’s son.”

“You could be both,” Leah deadpanned.

“I’m not, though,” he assured. “I’m… I’m Harry Potter. I said that, right? I’m Harry Potter.”

She shrugged. “Okay. Good for you.”

“...Thanks.” Harry hesitated. “So, I thought we should talk.”

Leah nodded. “Alright.” She scanned the space around her. “Let’s go upstairs, then. To my room.”

“I’ll just be off then, Leah.” Draco was looking between the two Potters, amused.

That was the first time Leah made any sort of expression. She looked confused. “Wait, he’s not with you?”

“I brought him here, he was looking for you.”

Leah frowned suspiciously at Harry and took a step closer to Draco. “Why?”

“Why was he looking? He’s your brother, he wanted to know you.”

Leah shook her head. “Stay.”

Draco sighed. “It really should be a private matter.” His expression softened. “How about this: I’ll just wait downstairs, and when you two are done talking, you can come find me.”

Leah hesitated, her eyes flickering rapidly between Draco and Harry. “Alright.” She shook herself, returning to her previous flat affect. “Follow me.” She knocked twice on a wall, which creaked and groaned as it morphed into a staircase.

Harry followed her up nervously. “So, you live here?”

“I own this place.” Leah’s gaze remained fixed ahead as she drummed her fingers on the handrail.

“Oh. What… what exactly  _ is  _ this place?” Harry asked as they reached the top of the staircase, which lead directly into a small flat.

“A place to be,” Leah said simply. Her room was cluttered with odd items and heaps of pillows. She pointed to one of the heaps and sat down on another. “For if you don’t have another place to be.”

Harry sat down gingerly on the pillow pile she’d pointed him to. “Oh?” He tried to prompt her to say more. Met with a blank stare, he tried more explicitly. “So, how does it work, then? What does this place do?”

Leah hummed. “Artists and vendors can sell things here, and I just take five percent of whatever they make. We also have a bar. And tents in the field out back, sometimes people stay here. If I let them.”

Interesting. Harry had never heard of a business like that before. “That’s a really unique idea.”

Leah wrinkled her nose. “No it’s not. It’s an artist colony.”

Harry nodded politely. “I see. I’ve never heard of that before, I guess.”

“It’s a nice word for homeless slum.”

“Oh.” Harry tried not to let the surprise show on his face. “And… and you own this place? Did you… er… start it?”

Leah nodded. “I bought the building when I was seventeen and I’ve had it ever since.”

“Two years before the end of the war, then.”

“It was mostly prostitutes back then.”

Despite his best efforts, Harry couldn’t find an appropriate facial expression to respond to that. “O-oh. Okay.”

“Why are you really here?” Leah leaned forwards, squinting at him analytically.

“I’m- to meet you.” Harry wasn’t sure what else he could say. “I found out about you only a week ago from some old photographs in the attic of my house. It used to belong to Sirius Black.”

Leah shook her head. “Who’s that?”

“Your godfather. And mine.” Harry felt a bit overwhelmed. Somehow, he’d pictured things going differently. He’d expected Leah to be happy to meet him at least. Her deadpan voice and flat affect were difficult to respond to, and her lack of knowledge was only complicated by her paranoid suspicions. “He raised you for the first two years of your life. Along with Remus Lupin, an old professor of mine.” Harry thought about the timeline. “I guess he only became a professor the year after you left Hogwarts, though.”

Leah’s gaze darkened. “He was alive?”

Harry nodded, shutting up about it. He should have realized that might be a touchy subject.

“Is he still?”

Harry hesitated, and shook his head. “He was killed in ‘98.”

Leah nodded slowly. “I was nineteen.” Her body language shifted, closing off. “If you’re telling the truth, how come he never looked for me?”

Harry didn’t have an answer. She was right, why hadn’t anyone searched for her? It had only taken Harry a week to find her, why hadn’t either Sirius or Remus sought her out? “I don’t know…”

“Where was James Potter?” She held uncomfortably firm eye contact. “He had you, so where was he?”

“I…” Harry didn’t have anything near a satisfactory answer. “I don’t know that either. He died not long after I was born. My mother, too.”

_ “Your  _ mother?”

“We have different mothers,” Harry clarified. “So we’re half-siblings, I suppose.”

“Well, what about  _ my  _ mother?”

“She died before I was born. I don’t know who she was.”

“What  _ do  _ you know?” Leah crossed her arms.

Harry couldn’t hold her eye contact anymore. He stared at his clasped hands instead. “Not much, I guess. Nobody tells me anything.”

Leah huffed. “Okay. Well, if Draco says you’re telling the truth, I guess I’ll believe him.”

That sounded rather odd in Harry’s head. “How do you know him, by the way?” Harry realized he could ask her the questions Draco had refused to answer. “Why was he at Meter Theon?”

“Lots of Death Eater’s kids went to Meter Theon for a time.” Leah chewed on her bottom lip, frowning. “The home also functions as a sort of witness protection for children. He was there from the year You Know Who disappeared until he was about seven or eight, I think.”

“You’re joking, that long?”

“I never joke.” Leah scowled.

“Er- okay. Sure,” Harry responded awkwardly. “That’s fine.”

“We got along. He didn’t have friends and I didn’t have friends, so we looked out for each other.” She relaxed slightly. “He helped me out when I got kicked out of school, and then I helped him out when he was first marked. He was fixing the Hogwarts side of a vanishing cabinet that lead to Borgin and Burke’s, and I fixed the other side.”

Harry’s blood ran cold. “You helped with that?” He felt sick. “That’s how all the Death Eaters got into Hogwarts.”

Leah nodded. “I didn’t know what it was for. I was just repaying a favor. It’s not like you can exactly blame him for that, either.”

“Of course I can!” Harry blurted out. “People died!”

“People always die,” Leah said darkly. “Wand to your head, what would you have done?”

“I would have died first,” Harry insisted.

“Pointless death, then. You Know Who would have just gotten someone else to do it.” Leah narrowed her eyes at him. “Anyways, why are you here? You just wanted to say hello?”

Trying to change the subject, then. Harry closed his eyes and let it go. It wasn’t important now. “Partly. I wanted to know what happened to you. Where you’d been, who you are now. We’re family.”

“Hardly,” Leah scoffed. “I don’t know you.”

“Let’s get to know each other, then,” Harry encouraged, trying not to feel hurt by her dismissal. “I have a wife and three kids- well, they’re adults now, but you should meet them. Come over for dinner.”

Leah shook her head. “I don’t eat in front of people.”

Again, Harry was at a loss for how to react. “Ah… alright. Come over and just say hello, then.”

Leah stared at him in silence for an unnervingly long time. “Let’s go to Draco’s house instead.”

Harry tried not to feel frustrated, but his patience was beginning to wear thin.  _ “Fine.”  _ He sighed. “You’ll have to clear it with him, though.”

Without another word, Leah stood and dashed back down the stairs.

It took Harry a moment to get over the surprise at her sudden departure before he had the presence of mind to follow her back down into the club room. “Strange woman,” he muttered to himself as he picked his way across the floor to the bar.

Draco shot Harry an annoyed look the second he saw him. “I’m wary of a pattern I see forming in which members of our families simply invite themselves over to each other’s homes.”

“Wasn’t my idea,” Harry retorted. “I’d much rather be at mine than yours.”

Draco closed his eyes, giving Harry the distinct impression he was slowly counting to ten. “Please,” he opened his eyes. “Do  _ not  _ yell at my son.”

“Why would I-” Harry broke off, understanding. “Why do you already know about this?”

Draco looked at him like he was an idiot. “Do you have any idea what goes on in your family?”

That struck something painful in Harry’s chest. “Apparently fucking not!” He tossed his hands in the air and turned away, his last shred of patience gone. “Apparently I don’t know half as much about my family as you seem to!”

“How cold is your house?” Leah interjected.

Draco looked at Leah, warmth coming back to his eyes. “You don’t need all three of those jackets, just bring one.”

Leah looked at him doubtfully. “I’ll bring two.”

“If that’s what you need to do.” Draco shook his head, amused. He looked back to Harry. “I suppose I’ll see you at mine, then.” He stood. “Did you want to change clothes?” He looked Leah up and down. “Let me rephrase, go change clothes.”

Leah spared Harry one last glance before nodding at Draco and walking off to presumably change.

Harry watched her go, trying not to direct the rage bubbling in his stomach at her. He turned it instead towards Draco, which felt right and normal. “Why didn’t you tell me about her? You’ve known her your whole life!”

Draco didn’t even look angry. Just tired. “I wonder if it says more about you or me that you assume I intentionally withheld that information from you.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!”

“It means I had no idea she was your sister or I would have said something.” He shook his head in amazement. Like he’d never in his life been asked a more stupid question.“Would you like me to introduce you to the six other people I know called Potter? Who knows, maybe they’re all long lost siblings of yours.”

“I wouldn’t be surprised anymore,” Harry huffed. “I’m beginning to think everyone is lying.”

A brief flicker of a strange expression crossed Draco’s face. “Be careful with that kind of thinking. More often than not when it seems the world is out to get you, the problem is yourself. That’s not an insult. Just advice.”

That was a very strange thing for him to say, and Harry wasn’t in the mood to deal with any more strange things. “I’ll see you later.” He disapparated before anyone else got an opportunity to test his patience. He apparated right to his doorstep, and took a deep breath before walking in.

When no calamity immediately occurred, he exhaled in confused relief. After a moment of standing uncertainly in the foyer, Ginny poked her head around the corner of the sitting room. “You’re back.” She stepped out to face him, hands on her hips. “Well?”

“I found Leah.”

Shock instantly replaced Ginny’s anger. “Really? Where?”

Harry recounted the story as they busied themselves in the kitchen with the tea kettle. By the time he finished, they were sat on the sofa, mugs half-empty. “So, where is everyone? We’re going to meet her at Malfoy’s.”

“Albus is already there.” Ginny raised an eyebrow. “He has been for the past two days.”

Harry wasn’t sure whether to feel guilty or annoyed. “Oh.” He shook it off. “And the other two?”   
“Lily’s upstairs. I’ve got no idea where James is.” She frowned into her mug. “I wish we knew more about Rachel.”

“Leah’s mother ?” Harry drained the last of his tea. “I’m sure we could track down  _ some  _ information about her, but she died forty years ago, I doubt there’s much left.”

Ginny nodded slowly. “Well, regardless.” She stood. “Let’s get Lily, I’m sure she’ll be excited to meet Leah.” She glanced at the staircase, then back to Harry. “Please be nice to Albus.”

Harry struggled against the urge to argue. “Mhm,” he said stiffly.

As it turned out, Albus should have been the one to get that advice. In Harry’s opinion at least.

“It’s bad to keep secrets?” He smirked, standing at the top of a wide, ornate staircase at Malfoy Manor. Leah stood next to him, nearly unrecognizable in a simple black dress with her hair brushed to a glossy shine. “Did your older sister give you that piece of advice?” He was grinning like Christmas had come early as he and Leah walked down the staircase together. “Or really, it’s not about that. You didn’t want a queer kid. Rather a brothel-owning sister, right? We’ve been chatting. I like her.”

Leah was staring off into the distance, seemingly unconcerned with the events around her.

Lily took a timid step forwards. “Aunt Leah. It’s nice to meet you, I’m Lily.”

Leah’s eyes slowly travelled from whatever point in the distance she was staring at to not quite meet Lily’s eyes. “Hello.”

The Malfoys were standing off to the side. Draco looked disinterested, Scorpius terrified.

“Er- Mr. Potter, could we-” Scorpius began, but was silenced by his father.

“Not now.”

“But-”

“Later,” Draco insisted.

Scorpius shifted his weight back and forth for a moment before dashing over to stand at Albus’ side. “I think we should talk to him about-”

“Oh, we will.” Albus’ grin widened. “Don’t worry.”

“No, that’s not what I-” Scorpius was cut off again.

“Why don’t we all have a seat at the table?” Draco ushered them into another room.

Scorpius sighed in frustration and followed along, glancing nervously between Albus and Leah.

Harry frowned, and cornered Scorpius as they entered the dining hall. “What is it?”

“Maybe now isn’t the best time, but I think I need to tell you something.” His voice was low, like he didn’t want anyone else to hear. “I… I think Albus and Leah might be a lot alike.”

“Alike?” Harry had noticed many strange things about Leah, from her dress to her speech to her mannerisms, but as for similarities to Albus, he drew a blank. “How so?”

“Well- well, obviously she’s fairly odd. Ah! I mean no offense, just that she’s a bit… eccentric, don’t you think?” Scorpius wrung his hands together, glancing over his shoulder nervously.

“Sure.” Harry looked at Leah, who was staring fixedly at the tablecloth, not looking at or responding to any of the people awkwardly trying to initiate conversation with her.

“Does…” Scorpius cleared his throat. “Does she not remind you of him?”

Harry shook his head slowly. “I don’t see what you mean.”

Scorpius looked embarrassed. “May-maybe it’s nothing. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have brought it up.” Before Harry could ask him any followup questions, he shuffled quickly off to take his seat next to Albus at the table.

It was as if the confusion center of Harry’s brain was fatigued to the point of nonfunction. He felt nothing. Shrugging off the strange conversation, he found a seat at the table as teacups appeared before them.

“You said you had three kids,” Leah spoke up suddenly.

Harry raised his eyebrows. “Er- yes. I do. One of them wasn’t able to make it.”

“Which one?” Leah asked dully.

“James, my eldest.”

Leah shifted backwards in her seat. “Jameses disappear, huh?”

Silence fell around the table as no one dared touch their teacups in response to that.

Eventually, Ginny was brave enough to break the horrible silence. “I’m sure it must have been difficult for you, Leah, finding your way all on your own as a child.”

Leah stared at Ginny so intensely Harry worried they both might just burst into flame. “No,” she finally answered. “When I was fourteen I left the orphanage. I lived on the streets after that. The streets are labeled, it was very easy to find my way.”

Ginny looked at Harry, a clear question of  _ should I laugh  _ in her eyes. Harry gave her a furtive shake of the head. Ginny collected herself. “I only meant it must have been a challenge growing up the way you did.”

Leah nodded slowly. “Then, yes. I think that compared to most people, my childhood was unusual. Although, most people I knew also lived in poverty. Most people I knew were worse off than me. That’s the best way to be happy, I’ve found. If all of your friends are poorer and sadder than you, then you’ll appreciate what you have. I was homeless, but my friends were homeless prostitutes. So I was the lucky one, and I never complained.”

Another stunned silence fell over the table.

“I… That’s a good point,” Ginny said weakly.

“Yes,” Leah said softly, pushing her teacup away. “Everything is on a spectrum. Happiness, sadness, color, and texture. If you can find out where you are, you’ll do a better job of moving in the right direction.”

“That’s so interesting,” Lily said, leaning forwards. “I’m sure you have a very different perspective on life than any of us, given your situation.”

Leah didn’t answer.

Harry frowned, hoping the rest of his family members around the table also realized that Leah’s strange sentence really didn’t make sense. They were probably just being polite. Otherwise, Harry must be going crazy, because his homeless pimp of a half-sister was absolutely odd and he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. Regardless, she was family. And Harry didn’t have much room to be choosy in that department. “I want to say, Leah,” he began. “We’d all be happy to have you be a part of our lives. If that’s what you want too.”

Leah took a few deep breaths, frowning at her untouched teacup. “That’s a big question.”

Harry nodded. “This is an unusual situation. You can think about it for as long as you like. Just know that we’re here to support you if you need it.”

Leah stood suddenly. “Okay.” Without another word, she disapparated.

The remaining people at the table stared at the spot she had vacated, silently stunned.

After a moment, Ginny cleared her throat. “She’s had a difficult life. Distrust is to be expected.”

“That was more than distrust, don’t you think?” Lily spoke up timidly. “She needs psychological help.”

“I dunno. Could be she just needs to get out of Knockturn Alley.” Harry shrugged. “Maybe we can offer her a place to stay.”

“She’s not gonna trust that,” Albus muttered softly, staring down at the table. “I think we should leave her alone. She’s fine where she is, she doesn’t… she’s fine.”

“What makes you say that?” Lily asked, frowning at her brother.

Albus shook his head. “I can tell. She’s fine. Nothing wrong with her, sometimes people just… sometimes people need their space.”

“I think I should check in on her.” Harry mused. “Get a better picture of what’s going on so I can figure out the best way to help.”

Albus groaned in frustration, causing everyone to look at him in surprise. “I said it’s fine! You don’t need to get involved in her business!”

Harry’s jaw dropped. “Wha… Clearly she’s in a dangerous situation, right? Shouldn’t we help?”

Ginny nodded her agreement. “Going on how you described her… erm… business, I’d say it’s our responsibility to help her get into a more stable environment where she can learn to overcome her paranoia.”

Draco cleared his throat. “We’ll leave you alone to discuss with your family.” He stood and ushered Scorpius out of the room with him.

“That’s not it!” Albus insisted. “It doesn’t matter, like she said. Your situation doesn’t matter, you are who you are.” He huffed and looked away, blinking rapidly. “Plus, I really don’t think you’re the best one to intervene, Dad.”

Harry scowled. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah!” Albus stood, glaring at Harry through tear-filled eyes. “You think you’re perceptive enough to figure out what’s going on with her? You think you’re tactful enough to address the crushing weight of her problems?  _ Years  _ of trauma doesn’t add up to Leah.  _ Leah  _ adds up to Leah, and no matter whose house you stick her in, she has to take herself with her. She has to take all of that baggage along with her. So don’t you think she’d prefer to be independent? Don’t you think she’s smart enough to figure out the best way to structure her life around her own shitty baggage? Maybe working nine to five and having a family  _ isn’t  _ the best option for her, did you consider that?!” He gasped as tears ran down his cheeks, like he was surprised to find himself crying. “Sometimes people are just born fucked up! Sometimes there’s just something inside you that can’t be fixed with hugs and platitudes.” He wiped his eyes roughly. “Whatever. Scorpius and I are getting married, so suck my dick.” He turned on his heel and ran off.

“Whoa,” Lily commented, looking a bit pale. “That was…”

“Yeah,” Harry agreed.

Everything felt upside down. Surreal. Mind overloaded, Harry reached for his teacup and instinctively ignored the situation around him. For the hundredth time that week, he felt like a stranger in his own family.

He nearly jumped out of his skin when Ginny tapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s go home.”

He nodded, setting down his shaking teacup. Or, wait-  _ he  _ was shaking. Interesting. “Yeah, let’s go home.”


	5. The Abyss

“This is a bad idea.” Sirius scratched his hair roughly, reminiscent of a dog.

“What’s a bad idea is you standing out here in the open as a human.” Remus chastised. They were older than in the other memories, probably the age Harry knew them. Must be, because Sirius was clearly older than 21, and Harry met him right after he broke out of prison. They were standing just outside of a building Harry recognized as Leah’s “artist colony,” although it was a different color and vines grew up half of one side.

“I want her to recognize me,” Sirius explained.

“She won’t,” Remus reasoned. “We left her when she was three, she probably won’t remember we ever existed.”

“Regardless.” Sirius chewed nervously on his lip as he walked up and knocked on the door.

After a moment, it opened slowly and a young boy poked his head out. He squinted at Sirius and Remus suspiciously. “Yes?”

“Is Leah Potter here?” Sirius peered over the boy’s head into the dark building.

“Kinda.” The boy opened the door all the way. “You’ll have better luck with someone else.”

“Kinda?” Remus repeated, stepping forwards. “How do you mean?”

“She’s a bit out of it. Come on in, have a drink.” He smiled sweetly, changing his demeanor from suspicious to something entirely different in the blink of an eye.

Sirius and Remus looked at each other apprehensively before following the boy into the building. Stools were lined up along a wall that glowed, silloughetting the people sitting in front of it. Men were walking back and forth in front of them, eyeing the shadowed people like merchandise. Harry supposed they were.

“Remus, this is a brothel,” Sirius whispered anxiously.

“Shh, I know,” Remus replied, sounding equally anxious.

“Leah?” the boy called out. “Ah, over there.”

A teenage Leah was standing in the corner, her hair in dreadlocks and her clothing mouldy and torn. She was whispering frantically to herself as her eyes darted every which way.

Sirius looked like the breath had been pulled out of him. “Oh no…”

Remus closed his eyes and took a breath before walking up to her and gently placing his hand on her shoulder. Leah recoiled violently, and Remus snatched his hand away. “Hello, darling.”

“No, I’m not,” Leah replied.

“I’m guessing you don’t know who I am.” Remus smiled sadly. “But I’m here to help if you’ll let me.”

“If if if if if…” Leah repeated, her breath becoming ragged.

“Get me a glass of water,” Sirius approached the bar, his eyes still fixed on Leah.

The bartender complied with nothing but a raised eyebrow by way of response.

Sirius reached inside his jacket and pulled out a small, glass jar full of terracotta-coloured pills. He put four on the bar and fished around in his pocket before withdrawing a knife. He crushed the pills with the butt of the handle, turning them into a fine, off-white powder which he mixed into the water. “Here.” He handed the glass to Leah who didn’t seem to quite register what was happening. She drank it anyway, like a zombie, and handed the glass back to Sirius, who returned it to the bar.

A couple minutes went by before anything happened. Slowly, the strained expression on Leah’s face faded, and she blinked until her eyes cleared. “Whaa…?”

“There you go, good girl,” Sirius encouraged. “Hi, Leah.”

“Hi.” Leah’s voice was thick. “Who are you?”

“I’m your godfather. So is he.” He jerked his thumb at Remus. “You used to live with us as a kid.”

“Oh.” She didn’t have any sort of reaction. Not that she typically seemed to. “At Meter Theon?”

“No, before that.” Remus reached out as if to touch her matted hair, thought better of it, and withdrew his hand. “I’m afraid we were the ones that put you there.”

“You lived at Meter Theon?” She didn’t seem to get it. “I’m at Meter Theon, that’s where I was.”

“No, no.  _ Before  _ Meter Theon.” Sirius tried again to explain. “We took care of you until you were three years old.”

Leah nodded. “When I was three, I went to Meter Theon.”

“That’s right,” Sirius encouraged. “We had you before that.”

“So you were at Meter Theon before me?” She blinked sleepily.

“She doesn’t get it, Sirius.” Remus’ eyebrows drew together sadly. “I think we’re just confusing her.”

Sirius nodded slowly. “Alright. Then let me just say, Leah, do you want to come live with us? My presence will be spotty, I’m sort of on the run at the moment, but Remus will be there. I’ve extended the same offer to your brother, so it seems only right I should ask you too.”

Leah’s mouth hung open oddly. “Draco?”

“Draco? Malfoy?” Sirius looked to Remus for confirmation that he had indeed heard that name. “N-no. I’m… I’m his cousin, maybe you’re confusing us?”

“Draco’s my brother.” Leah stuck her thumb in her mouth like a baby. Her eyelids drooped.

“No, I meant Harry Potter. Harry Potter is your brother.”

Leah nodded, her eyes falling closed. “Okay.”

“Do you want to come with us, Leah?” Remus spoke clearly.

Leah shook her head. “I’m not a prostitute, go ask them.” She pointed at the line up of shadows.

“That’s not what I’m-” Sirius began.

“She won’t understand,” Remus cut him off. “We should go.”

“No, we should take her with us!”

“We can’t handle a schizophrenic right now, I’m sorry.” Remus spoke like he was denying a screaming child sweets. “Maybe after the war.”

“But-”

_ “No,” _ Remus insisted. “We can’t take her.”

Sirius appeared to physically fight back his arguments. He nodded tightly. “Okay.” He fished a quill and spare scrap of parchment out of his pocket, and scrawled out a note.  _ Three at night, one at noon.  _ He handed the note and the bottle of pills to the bartender. “Give this to whoever most cares for her. I’ll be sending more as she needs them.”

 

*******

 

It was four AM, and Harry had yet to fall asleep. He just kept replaying the memory of Leah babbling psychotically in his head. It was a disturbing image, and he couldn’t manage to shake it. He sat up gingerly, careful not to disturb Ginny. Maybe a glass of water would help him relax. Or something stronger.

He trudged into the kitchen still lost in thought about Leah, and almost didn’t realize the light was already on. Albus was standing by the sink, apparently having had the same idea as his father. He was holding a glass under the faucet, which wasn’t turned on.

“Al?” Harry asked, confused. “What are you doing up? I didn’t even think you were home.”

Albus dropped the glass into the sink with a clatter. Harry cringed, hoping it didn’t break. Albus didn’t seem to notice or care. He turned away from Harry and started to walk away before Harry grabbed his elbow to stop him.

“Hold on, talk to me for a moment.”

Albus didn’t look at him. He was staring at the floor, his eyes glazed over.

“Are you alright?” Harry inspected him, concerned. His posture seemed wrong. Tight, like he was anticipating violence or something.

Albus nodded jerkily and tried to pull away.

“No, hold on. I want to talk to you.” Harry released his elbow warily, hoping he wouldn’t bolt. “I… I don’t want you to think that I… I mean, I’m not-” he sighed, trying to think about how best to put it. “You have every right to… to be romantically involved with whoever you want. I just… you have to realize how strange it is for me. I always thought you were… that you would…” He shook his head, embarrassed. “I want what’s best for you, you know. So I wish you wouldn’t lie to me. I want you to be happy, and I think I’ve been fairly permissive with you about most things, so I don’t see why you would lie in the first place.”

Albus blinked, looking confused. “Mkay.”

At least he said something. Harry supposed he should take what he could get. “I only… The only reason I was…” He broke off, not wanting to sound uncertain. “I shouldn’t have gotten angry. I’m sorry.” He paused, hoping Albus would respond. When he didn’t, Harry continued. “I know you struggle to make friends, but I don’t want you to think that means you’ll never find someone you really love. Don’t sell yourself short, alright? You’ll find the right person for you.”

“Alright,” Albus said stiffly, still not making eye contact. “Bye, then.”

“Wait,” Harry stopped him before he could leave. “Are you alright? You seem off.”

Albus appeared to struggle for words. “I’m… right. It’s fine, it’s…” He ran his fingers down his face. “Bloody hell… This isn’t… right now, I can’t… I can’t talk now. I need to be… nothing is… over back up there just let me...”

The world seemed to stop as Harry realized something really was very wrong. He put his hands on Albus’ cheeks, forcing him to make eye contact. “What’s wrong? Tell me what’s wrong.”

“Harry? What’s… Albus?” Ginny walked into the kitchen, her eyes half shut and her voice thick with sleep.

“I don’t know, something’s wrong with him.”

That seemed to wake her up. She dashed over, shoving Harry out of the way. “Are you okay?”

Albus’ eyes were wide as he stared between his parents, looking overwhelmed.

“I need you to talk to me, do we need to go to the hospital?”

Albus didn’t seem able to answer.

“Alright, off we go.” Ginny snatched her jacket off the back of a chair and steered her stunned son towards the door, stepping into her shoes as she did so.

“No, I don’t want to…” Albus muttered as she shoved him out the door. “That’s not… because I didn’t… I don’t want to.”

“Yes, but I think you need to.” She waved Harry forwards. “Are you going to drive?”

It took Harry a moment to figure out how to walk. “Er- yes, alright.” He pulled on his shoes quickly and followed after them. It was all happening so quickly, Harry barely noticed what was going on as Ginny loaded them all into the car with expert ease. She barked directions at him from the back seat as he drove along the night streets, not a thought passing through his head.

He had barely pulled the car to a stop before Ginny was in action again, dragging Albus out of the car by the arm and steering him off towards the entrance to the little clinic Harry hadn’t even known was there. She was talking to Albus in soothing tones, but Harry didn’t register what she was saying. He felt like the world was collapsing around him, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

The lobby was clean and white and mostly empty. Harry stood numbly in the middle of the floor, watching Ginny handle everything. Almost immediately, they were taken through to the hospital rooms, and Harry watched as a healer questioned his wife and son.

They were probably there for hours, but Harry didn’t feel it. He sat down at one point, and at another point he noticed the sun rising through the window.

“Okay,” Ginny said, jolting him out of his daze. “Let’s go home.”

Albus was standing next to her, his eyes clearer though still cast towards the ground.

“What… what happened?” Harry stood, glancing between the two.

“An acute but mild psychotic break,” Ginny said matter-of-factly, as if it were the most common thing in the world. “And since it runs in the family, they gave us these.” She held up a bottle of pills. “Everything’s okay now.”

Was it, though? Harry felt like he was drowning. He turned to Albus. “Are you… do you…?”

“Better now, yeah,” he mumbled. “Can we leave, please?”

Harry could barely believe it. Yet another thing he hadn’t known about his own family. Worse, Scorpius had known. He’d tried to warn Harry at Malfoy Manor. Harry hadn’t really heard him, he was so busy ignoring Leah’s problems that he’d completely overlooked Albus’.

Harry parked on the street in front of Number 12 and glanced into the backseat through the mirror. Albus was curled up in his mother’s arms, looking much younger than his age. He sat up, wiping the tear tracks hastily from his face before climbing out of the car. He looked at each of his parents in turn and nodded stiffly.

“Okay,” he said, and turned to walk away.

Harry followed him indoors, watching him carefully. “Hold on,” he called out to Albus before he could ascend the staircase. “Come have breakfast, it’s-” he checked his watch. “8:30. Blimey.”

“I’d rather not,” Albus deadpanned. “Thanks, though, I’ll… I’ll just be off.”

“No,” Harry said firmly. “Have some coffee if you’re tired, but stay downstairs.”

Albus squinted at him suspiciously. “How come?”

How come? Because of the terrible feeling of dread in Harry’s stomach. The sense that leaving Albus alone was a very dangerous idea. Harry didn’t like the flat edge to his voice, or the dulled affect of his usually expressive face.

“I don’t want to.” Albus edged towards the staircase.

“I didn’t ask if you wanted to. I don’t want you to be alone right now.”

Understanding rose in Albus’ eyes. His expression darkened. “I think I’d be better off getting some sleep.”

Harry squared his shoulders. “I strongly disagree.”

Albus glared at him, but stepped away from the staircase. “I’m on antipsychotics, I feel like I’m going to pass out.”

“Go sleep on the couch,” Harry challenged, pointing.

“Fine.” Albus walked off, scowling.

Harry watched him sit down before heading into the kitchen to make coffee. He walked in just in time to see Ginny release their owl through the window. “What was that?” he asked, picking out the bag of coffee beans from a cupboard.

“Sending a letter to Scorpius.” Ginny dusted her hands off and opened the refrigerator. “We can’t watch him 24/7.”

“I suppose not. Merlin, this isn’t going to be easy, is it?” He felt the exhaustion finally hit him full force.

“Nothing ever is with us.” Ginny smiled tiredly. “But we can handle it.”

Not half an hour later, they were all in the sitting room with coffee and biscuits, listening to the sounds of the shower running as an oblivious Lily got ready for her morning. Harry was busy trying to figure out the best way to break the news to her when he heard a frantic knock on the door.

Albus looked at him, betrayal in his eyes. “You told Scorpius?”

“You can tell by the knock?” Harry asked, amused.

Ginny got up to answer the door. “Hello.”

“Hi,” Scorpius said shortly before dashing into the sitting room. “Are you okay?” He sat down next to Albus, barefoot, still in his pajamas, and with his hair standing on end.

Ginny gave Harry a furtive signal to leave the room, which he did gladly, confident that Albus was in safe hands.

Alone in their bedroom, Ginny let her confident, take-charge facade fall away. “What are we going to do?” She buried her face in her hands.

Harry pulled her close, rubbing her back soothingly. “Our best, I suppose.”

“I feel so out of control with him…” She sniffed. “Should we have known?”

Harry thought about it. “You know what, Gin? I’m starting to think we shouldn’t expect to know anything. Life is just stumbling forwards blindly, and the best you can hope for is good reflexes in surprising situations.”

She pulled away. “That was surprisingly wise of you.”

He grinned. “See? Everyone surprises every now and then.”

It was 9 AM, and the day kept moving forwards despite it all. Despite the seemingly cataclysmic changes in the Potter family’s lives, nobody else seemed affected. People on the street still smiled and frowned and spat and stumbled forwards, completely unaware. It was peaceful, in that way. Nobody cared, because in the grand scheme of things, their family’s problems weren’t important at all.


	6. The Transformation

Pigeons scratched at the dirt around the park bench upon which Harry sat pondering the life of a homeless man who was shouting angrily at nothing. Knowing that his son and sister were experiencing a similar disturbance brought him a new level of empathy, and he tried to put himself in the shouting man’s worn out shoes.

He wished Albus would talk to him. Over the past few days since his trip to the hospital, Albus had grown even more reclusive, spending what little time he wasn’t at Malfoy Manor locked up in his room. Scorpius was with him constantly, for which Harry supposed he was grateful, even if it made him a bit uncomfortable. The fear that Albus might chose to end his life was very real and present, and hung over both Harry and Ginny like a cloud.

Leah hadn’t, Harry reminded himself. Leah made it clear through childhood and into middle age without making that final call, and perhaps Albus could too. The man on the street corner had made it through. Clearly people survived with the illness.

Still, Harry wanted more for his son than just surviving. He wanted more for his sister, too. That’s why he’d asked her to meet him at the bench in- he checked his watch- two minutes ago.

Leah appeared with a  _ snap,  _ causing Harry to jump in surprise.

“Hello.” She stared down at her feet.

“Hello,” Harry greeted. “Have a seat.”

Leah regarded him silently for a moment before sitting down. She rocked back and forth a bit where she sat, a behavior Harry had noticed in Albus recently as well. “You wanted to talk to me?”

“Yes, I…” Now that she was there, Harry had no idea what to say. He cleared his throat. “Albus has- my son, he’s recently…” Harry shook his head, trying again. “We had to take him to the hospital for a minor psychotic break, and I was wondering… Well, I suppose I was wondering what to do.”

Leah stared flatly at him. “How should I know?” Her eyes flicked over to the shouting man. “Ask him.”

Harry hesitated, unsure how to approach the sensitive topic. “It’s just that I’m inexperienced with the issue, so I thought you might have advice. I haven’t got a clue what he’s going through.”

Leah yawned and scratched her tangled hair roughly. “Neither have I. I don’t know him.”

“I’m not sure I do either.” Harry sighed. “Unfortunately.” He tried to think of something to say. “I want to help, but he won’t talk to me.”

“Maybe he hates you,” Leah suggested, standing up. “Okay, bye.”

“Wait!” Harry stood too. “Did you… Did you think about my offer at all?”

Leah nodded. “I don’t need help.” She hesitated. “It was nice to meet you.”

The tone of finality struck Harry as odd. “It.. er… yes, you too. But… I thought you should be a part of the family. You’re welcome at the house whenever you like, I…”

“No thanks.” Leah stared at the ground.

Harry deflated. “But…”

Leah disapparated before Harry could say anything else. Stunned, he stared at the spot she had vacated, trying to figure out what had just happened. She had probably gone back to the club. He groaned in frustration, running his hands down his face. He only wanted to help her, and she was being so difficult. Albus, too. Hell, both of his sons. He should follow her. That club wasn’t a safe environment and Leah was probably just too psychotic to realize how much danger she could be in. The place was overrun by Neo-Death Eaters and drug addicts. It wasn’t a good place for her. Maybe he should shut it down. He had the power after all, and it was his job. Technically he was  _ required  _ to shut it down. Steeling himself for the nightmare he was about to cause, he concentrated on the location of the club and disapparated.

He was right about where Leah had gone. She was standing just outside the entrance, talking to the bouncer Harry had briefly met the last time he was there.

“Leah,” he called out to her.

Leah glanced over her shoulder, rolled her eyes, and walked into the club.

Annoyed, Harry charged in after her, dodging the bouncer who made a half-hearted attempt to stop him. The music inside thrummed in his chest, and he picked his way through swarms of people as he chased Leah across the floor.

He had almost caught up with her when something more pressing distracted him.

James was standing by the bar, chatting with a group of people Harry didn’t recognize. It took him a moment to adjust to the shocking scene, and by the time he had, Leah was gone. It didn’t matter. He needed to focus on James, that was more important. Whatever he was doing at the club, there was no way it was good.

He stormed over, anger clouding his judgement as he grabbed his eldest son by the arm and dragged him away from his friends. “What are you doing here?!” he shouted over the music as he tried to find a quiet corner. He settled for a spot by the backdoor.

It took James a moment to recognize him. “Whoa… Dad, what?” A slow grin spread across his face. He didn’t seem to realize he was in trouble. “What are  _ you  _ doing here, man? Wow.”

Harry wasn’t sure how to react to James’ oddly good-natured greeting. He shook himself, trying to look angrier in case that helped James figure out how he needed to respond. “You’re coming home with me. Now.”

James nodded slowly. “Er… Can’t really. Bit busy, you see.” He twisted his arm out of Harry’s grip. “Good to see you, though. It’s been awhile, hasn’t it?” He frowned. “Or… has it?” His frown deepened. “What’s going on?” He ran his fingers through his hair, causing it to stand directly on end. He looked a bit… off. “What are we doing?” Realization dawned in his eyes as he seemed to notice Harry again as if for the first time. “Oh, wow, Dad. Why are you here? It’s pretty insane in this place. It moves…” he trailed off, gazing around himself in a daze. “This is… Oh, is this a raid?” The first inkling of fear finally made it’s way across James’ disoriented face. “Do I need to leave because if my friends aren’t… there’s nothing we can… I don’t have they’re scattered still from… too many days…” His words weren’t quite joining together.

Harry just gaped at his son, horrified. “You too?” It couldn’t be. It wasn’t fair. Albus and Leah and James too? It felt like a punch in the gut. What about Lily? Could it potentially happen to her as well? He felt sick. “Come outside with me.”

James’ eyes widened, and he took a second to respond. “You know, this really isn’t… My friends are just over see? That group by them at the… floor…”

Crushed. Like a ton of bricks dropped directly on his heart. “You’re not making sense,” Harry told him gently. “It’s okay, just come with me, I can help you.”

James shut his mouth tight and backed away slowly. Like he thought he could perhaps just disappear out of the conversation if he moved slowly and quietly enough.

“Where are you going?” Harry shook his head, trying to keep his composure. He felt like his world was collapsing.

A young man Harry didn’t recognize tossed an arm around James’ shoulders, grinning. “Heya, Jimmy. Getting a little spun? Come on back, man.” An American accent. He must be the one who had stopped by Number 12 the other week. He grinned broadly at Harry. “What’s up?”

Harry nodded stiffly. “You’re his friend?”

The American kid nodded. “Neal. You’re… someone?”

“How long has he been like this?” Maybe James’ friends had known. Maybe they’d even been looking after him. James was gone all the time, it was unlikely he was alone.

Neal glanced at James. “Uh… Like… You mean tripping?”

“What?” Harry frowned, confused.

“Probably just hit him.” Neal clapped James on the shoulder. “Why, you wanna chill with us? Got anything to throw down, old timer?”

Harry had no idea what any of that meant. “That’s my son,” he clarified.

The grin slid off Neal’s face comically fast. “Oh damn. You’re Harry freaking Potter.” He held up his hands in surrender. “I didn’t say anything.”

“Has this happened to him before?” Harry gestured at James, getting frustrated.

Neal glanced uncertainly between James and Harry. “What… what do you mean, exactly?”

Harry tried not to sound as angry and desperate as he felt. “Has he been psychotic before? Or is this the first time?”

“Psychotic?” Neal shook his head slowly. “No, he’s not. Just super high. He’s totally fine, I swear.”

Harry struggled to breathe, feeling like he’d had the wind knocked out of him. That didn’t sound “totally fine.” That sounded incredibly dangerous and like James was never going to be allowed out of the house again.

Someone tapped him on the shoulder. “Don’t harass my guests.” Leah was standing behind him, frowning.

“This is my son,” Harry said again, trying to hold himself together. “We’re going home.”

Leah squinted at James’ face. “He’s better here,” she concluded. “This is the other one? Not the schizophrenic?”

“He’s not schiz-” Harry began to argue reflexively. “You know what, nevermind. Yes, this is James, the other one.”

Leah reached out to smooth back James’ hair. “Everything is fine, don’t worry about it,” she told him in a calm tone, deviating unexpectedly from her typically monotonous voice. “Go get a glass of water from the bar and listen to the music.”

A strange, entranced look came over James’ face. “Okay…” He wandered off slowly in the direction of the bar, following Leah’s suggestion.

“Don’t harass my guests,” Leah said again, turning to Harry with her hands on her hips. “They’re fragile.”

“He’s  _ high,”  _ Harry corrected, disgusted.

“I know. So leave him alone, you’re gonna mess him up.” She scowled at him like  _ he  _ was the one in the wrong.

Neal the American was looking at Leah with reverence. “You’re great.”

Leah touched his cheek fondly. “We have apple juice, too.”

Neal gasped like that was the greatest idea he’d ever heard. “Hell yeah.” He dashed off after James.

Leah’s expression shifted right back to annoyed the second Neal was gone. “Do you know what I do here?”

Harry shrugged, looking around. “House criminals?”

“Yes,” Leah answered, surprisingly. “I look after people like your sons when they’re at their most vulnerable. Out back live around fifty schizophrenics who would otherwise be dying of exposure on the streets. I monitor my drug using guests so they don’t wind up overdosing or spinning dangerously out. I protect the prostitutes who work here from being murdered or getting sick. We supervise drug deals so that no one is hurt.” She folded her arms, glaring daggers at Harry. “Things like drugs and prostitution happen regardless of the law. And when you make it illegal, you force these people underground where things get dangerous. This club is about safety. That’s all. So when you come in here making threats and being a cop, you frighten people back outdoors where real crimes can happen.  _ You  _ are the danger here, not my guests.”

Harry wanted to argue, but he wasn’t sure how. “But James is… he’s not…” He shook himself. “I don’t want him doing  _ any  _ drugs, I don’t care about doing it safely, he shouldn’t be-”

“You will  _ kill him,”  _ Leah interrupted. “Do you understand? You’re not going to stop him doing what he wants, and if you try then he’ll just be secretive about it and he won’t ask for help when he needs it.”

Harry just stared, stunned to silence. Anger still pulsed heavily through his veins, but he had to admit that Leah had a point. He felt helpless.

Leah took pity on him. “Come with me.” She put a hand on his back and steered him out the back door.

A sea of tents were enclosed within a brick wall that outlined the grassy yard. Men and women of varying ages were milling about, chatting with each other and to themselves.

“Everyone here is employed by the club,” she explained as they walked around the yard. “We provide them with what they need to recover, and eventually most of them move out and pursue the rest of their lives. They just need a little support to get back on their feet, then they can usually function on their own.” She waved down a skinny, blond girl who was relaxing under a tree.

“Hi, Mama Leah,” she said, bouncing over.

“How long have you been here, Mae?” Leah asked, smiling warmly at her.

“Three months,” Mae answered promptly. “Hello,” she waved at Harry.

“And you’ve made huge improvement, haven’t you?” Leah looked proud.

“My voices are quiet.” Mae beamed. “Are you moving in?” she asked Harry.

“No, I’m not,” Harry assured quickly. “I don’t- No. I’m not.”

“This is my brother,” Leah introduced him. That was the first time she’d called him that. Strange emotion twisted in Harry’s chest. “He has a son who comes here. And another son who might.” She looked at Harry pointedly. “He can. If he wants. The other one.”

“Albus.” Harry nodded, remembering that problem. “He says he’s getting married.” He remembered, hiding his face in his hands. “I don’t know what to do.”

“You don’t do anything,” Leah said, waving as Mae bounced happily away. “If that’s true, it’s a good thing. It means he has someone to support him.”

Harry looked up to watch Mae go. “Albus isn’t happy like her.”

“You should have seen her three months ago. She was a suicidal cocaine addict almost starved to death on the streets,” Leah said frankly. “Now she’s off the bad drugs and on some good drugs and doing much better.”

Harry nodded considerately. He should probably feel hopeful learning that, but he didn’t. He just felt frustrated and angry. He’d tried so hard to give his kids a good life. He’d given them everything he’d never had, and still they had these problems he couldn’t seem to prevent or fix. “I don’t want this for them.”

“Too bad,” Leah said, surprising Harry. “Because this is the life that chose them.”

Harry looked over his shoulder at the door to the club. He still felt he should take James home with him. If he couldn’t prevent Albus’ issues, he could certainly prevent James’. Right? It was all about making the right choices. If he could only encourage him to… to something. Something different than what he was doing now.

Leah squinted at him, giving Harry the distinct impression she was reading his mind. “Do you know what an absurd hero is?” she asked.

“Er… no.” Harry frowned.

“It’s someone who understands the meaninglessness of their life and the insignificance of their own existence, and choses to be happy regardless.”

Harry failed to understand the relevance. “Okay?”

“This world is absurd,” Leah explained. “We’re born fumbling for meaning and struggling to make sense of it all. There’s no making sense of it. There’s no meaning to the madness. Things happen that hurt, and when things hurt, we want to fix it. We want to learn from it in order to prevent ourselves from ever hurting again. But something else will always come along that hurts in a whole different way, and the cycle gets repeated. We’re born, we hurt, we die. But in the meantime, some of us try to have fun. Don’t worry about the next hurt coming. Just try to enjoy yourself. Be a hero.”

Harry let that sink in. “Are you saying I shouldn’t try to help my sons?”

“Not exactly.” Leah hummed, thinking about it. “I suppose I’m saying you should let them be happy, even if it’s not in the way you expected. And you should be happy, too. Even if that means letting them go.”

She was right. Realization dawned on Harry in a sudden wave. “I need to talk to James.”

Leah analyzed him carefully. “Okay. Be gentle.”

They walked back inside, and Leah brought him over to the bar, where James and his friend Neal were having what seemed to be a very intense conversation.

“-and so I want you to be happy, because that makes me happy. Ya feel?” Neal said, weighty importance in every word.

“I so do…” James marveled. “That’s pretty wow…” He noticed Harry standing there. “Oh… Hi, Dad. I thought I dreamed you were here…”

Harry shifted his weight uncomfortably. “Right… I just need to ask if you’re safe.”

James’ eyebrows drew together. He looked like he might cry with happiness. “I love you.”

Harry sighed. “I… ugh. I love you too, so are you safe?”

“Totally, Dad. Everything’s great.” He beamed standing up from his barstool. “Everything’s  _ amazing.”  _ Before Harry realized what was happening, James wrapped his arms around his father’s waist, hugging him tight. “Thank you.”

Harry stood stiffly for a moment before hugging him back awkwardly. “Alright. Good.” He detached himself gently from his emotional son. “Make sure you get some sleep. And… don’t dehydrate.”

James marveled at him, and only a thin ring of golden-brown was visible around his enormous pupils. “I will. And won’t. Respectively.” He sighed, his eyes falling closed momentarily. “Come have a drink with me?”

Harry hesitated. “I don’t know about that.”

“Come on, it’s…” He checked his watch. “Oh, man. I can’t read this. It’s not too early, though. Right? I’ll even just drink… what have you got, Neal? Apple juice, that sounds  _ wonderful.” _

Against his better judgement, Harry gave in and sat down at the bar. It had been a long time since he’d spoken with his eldest son. A few weeks at least, he reckoned. “Alright…” He ordered a double shot of tequila. It’s not what he normally drank, but he knew it would take the edge off faster than his usual.

“What’s been…” James’ focus trailed off briefly. “What’s been going on?”

Harry choked a bit as he struggled to down the harsh liquor. He held up a waiting finger as James laughed at him. “Do you know the woman who owns this place?” He gasped as the afterburn hit him. He hadn’t told James anything yet. He’d been gone for the entire upheaval of the Potter family’s life.

“Isn’t she great?” James sighed. “She’s like a mum but… a hippie mum.”

“Close.” Harry nodded, suddenly more amused with the situation than uncomfortable as the alcohol kicked in. “She’s your aunt.”

“Bullshit,” James called. “How?”

Harry grinned and explained the whole story. James’ focus slipped in and out, so he had to repeat himself quite a few times, but they finally got there.

“So…” James blinked, struggling to put his thoughts together. “Sirius was schizophrenic?”

“No.” Harry shook his head, preparing to re-explain.

“But… He had antipsychotics. When he met Leah.” James scratched his fingers through his hair. “Am I… Am I wrong?”

Harry frowned, realizing he had a point. “You’re not wrong… huh. I dunno.”

“That’s… wow. That’s a trip, Dad. I missed a lot.” He shook his head slowly, looking dazzled. “How long have I been gone?”

“Two weeks, I think. Since you stopped by to pick up your backpack.” Harry tried to count backwards.

James let out a string of disjointed swear words. “I had no idea… Time is wild.” He blinked confusedly. “What were we talking about?”

Harry shook his head in amazement. “How long before this stuff wears off?”

James shrugged. “How long has it been?”

Harry checked his watch. “I got here a little over an hour ago.”

James laughed like that was the funniest joke he’d ever heard. “Shit! Gonna be another three hours bare minimum before I can function, up to twelve before I’m normal.”

“That long?” Harry wasn’t exactly familiar with the world of illicit substances, but that seemed like a long time.

“I don’t understand the world, Dad.” James grinned. “I’m gonna need a lot of time to sort through the rubble.”

That… sort of made sense. Harry ordered another drink. “I’m trying hard to be okay with this.”

“You’re doing a  _ great  _ job,” James assured him. “For real.”

Harry nodded dully as he let the alcohol consume his mind. “I think I need to sort through the rubble too.”


	7. The Revelation

It was just past sunset when Harry finally arrived home from Leah’s club. His head was still swimming a bit from the alcohol he’d consumed, so he figured he’d just go directly to bed and hope to sleep through the hangover the following morning.

All hope of sleep for the next little while flew out the window the moment he stepped through the front door. Lily was sitting in the foyer, leaning against the wall as she curled her knees to her chest.

“You okay?” Harry asked her blearily.

She just pointed towards the sitting room, her empty expression and pallor a foreboding sign.

Harry stepped around her into the sitting room hesitantly, hoping he wasn’t too obviously intoxicated. He didn’t feel like listening to a lecture about it. “What’s going on?”

Ginny, Scorpius, and Draco were sitting around on the couches, matching sombre expressions on each of their faces.

Harry’s stomach dropped. “What happened?” He looked around, confirming his suspicion. “Where’s Al?”

“We don’t know,” Scorpius answered weakly. He looked hollow. “He didn’t…” he trailed off, out of breath. “He didn’t say anything.”

Harry’s blood ran cold. “Why aren’t you out looking for him?”

“We did.” Ginny looked up, her eyes red but dry. Like she’d been recently crying a lot, and perhaps could cry no longer. “For hours.”

“So…” Harry looked between the three sitting silently in his sitting room, trying to work out what he should conclude. “What do we think happened?”

“I hope he’s wandering,” Scorpius said, his voice barely above a whisper. “I hope he’s just confused and lost somewhere. I hope he had a psychotic episode and wandered off.”

“You hope?” Harry frowned. That didn’t sound like a great situation. It didn’t seem like the ideal outcome or the thing to hope for. “Why?”

Scorpius met his eyes. He looked absolutely broken. “I hope he’s alive.”

Oh. Harry came crashing down to earth, sobriety creeping back over him as tomorrow’s hangover built early. “Oh.”

“I’ve sent out a message to the Ministry and some of my associates. If anyone sees him, they’ll contact me,” Draco said dryly.

That was… confusing. “Why?” Harry asked. When they all looked at him like he was insane he clarified, “I mean, why would  _ you  _ do that?”

“I don’t allow my opinions of you to influence my opinions of your son, and I would have hoped you followed the same policy.” Draco raised an eyebrow. “Evidently not, as you seem to almost intentionally and conveniently forget that Albus Potter is soon to be my son-in-law.”

Harry scowled. “Well…” He struggled to think of a comeback. “That’s… true.” He came up short.

“Right.” Draco turned pointedly away from him. “Ginny, I think it’s best Scorpius and I head home. If we receive any news, we’ll let you know.”

“Us too,” Ginny said, staring blankly at her lap. “Thank you.” Her voice sounded robotic, like she wasn’t fully present for her own response.

The front door closed with a weary  _ thud,  _ and the house fell silent.

“I should go look for him,” Harry said flatly, half a question half an observation. “I should go find him, right?”

“We’ve checked all the usual places.” Ginny wrung her hands, pacing back and forth. “Coffee shops, places around Diagon Alley, we even went to Hogsmeade. Nobody’s seen him.”

Harry nodded slowly. “What about just outside?”

“You mean around the neighborhood?” Ginny nodded. “We drove up and down the street, calling out for him. We didn’t see anything.”

“What about the gardens?” There were plenty of little wooded areas around the neighborhood.

Ginny hesitated. “I suppose we could search more thoroughly, although I don’t suspect he’d just wander into the neighbors’...”

“I’m going to go look.” Better to keep up the search even if it was fruitless than sit indoors and wallow in anxiety. He stumbled on his way out the front door, and leaned heavily against it once outside. He closed his eyes and sighed slowly, trying to relieve his frustration with his life at the moment.

“I don’t think he would kill himself.”

Harry opened his eyes in surprise to see Scorpius standing alone by the curbside. “No?”

“No,” Scorpius said firmly.

Harry wished he had the same conviction. “What makes you so sure?”

“We still have plans,” Scorpius said simply. “He doesn’t cancel plans.”

Harry pushed himself off the door with a groan. “I thought you were worried he was dead.”

“I am. Just not by his own hand.” Scorpius looked away, shrugging. “I don’t know if that makes it better.”

“Why are you still here?” Harry asked, a little bluntly.

Scorpius fumbled for words for a moment before responding. “I thought you might- I mean, of course you would try to look for him, so… I thought you might try looking for him tonight.” He shook his head, shutting his eyes. “I mean, it’s just that… Well, we don’t want three of you missing, do we?” He laughed awkwardly. “So I was going to help.”

Harry just blinked. “Three?”

“Albus and James, right?” Scorpius wrung his hands together. “I only meant-”

“Why would I go missing?” Harry squinted at him suspiciously.

Scorpius was silent for a long moment. “I’m pretty good at telling when people are too drunk to be alone.”

Several competing retorts jumped to the forefront of Harry’s mind, but the only thing he managed was, “Huh.”

“I’m the good kid, you know?” Scorpius half-smiled. “Designated driver, I think it’s called. Plus, I won’t sleep if I go home right now.”

Harry considered that. He didn’t really have a good reason to tell Scorpius to go away, so he shrugged. “I’m gonna check through the neighborhood.”

“Okay, I’ll just follow you.”

Slightly annoyed and with no good justification for the feeling, Harry trudged ahead with the intention of ignoring Scorpius altogether. He wasn’t drunk. Well, he wasn’t  _ that  _ drunk. He could walk alone. Hell, he was an adult. A real adult, not like Malfoy’s kid. What did he know? Plus- “James isn’t missing, I found him.” He regretted even saying anything the second the words left his mouth. He didn’t want to explain everything. He didn’t want to explain  _ anything. _

“That’s good.” Scorpius said before falling silent.

Huh. No questions? Harry surprised himself by feeling disappointed. “He’s at Leah’s club,” he blurted, unable to help himself. “With his friends.”

“Oh, I see.”

_ Oh, I see?  _ What the hell did that mean? Harry scowled, the need to defend his eldest overwhelming his better judgement. “He’s fine.” That wasn’t entirely true, but Scorpius didn’t need to know that.

Scorpius didn’t respond. What was his problem?

“He’s  _ fine,”  _ Harry insisted, turning around.

Scorpius nodded. “Alright. I believe you.”

Harry squinted at him doubtfully. “Right.” He turned back around briefly before paranoia got the better of him and he spun back to face Scorpius. “I spoke with him, he’s fine.”

“Okay.” Scorpius looked puzzled. “Do you  _ want  _ me to argue?”

“No.” Harry turned decisively back around and stormed onwards. He scanned the trees and brush around the vacant lot by the corner, searching for any sign of movement.

“Why isn’t he here?”

Harry stopped walking abruptly. “What?”

“James, why isn’t he here?”

Right. That’s why he shouldn’t have said anything. It meant answering questions. “Neveryoumind, we’re looking for Albus.”

“Okay.” Scorpius was quiet for a while as they walked through the scrub grass of the lot. “It’s just that right now the story is you met James at a club, you spoke, he’s fine, and you returned home drunk and alone. Are you sure your wife will buy that?”

Harry really wanted to argue angrily, but unfortunately Scorpius had a point. “She doesn’t know I’m drunk.” He shook himself. “And I’m  _ not.  _ Anymore. You can go home.” He didn’t need a babysitter anyways.

Scorpius ignored him. “Maybe he wanted to spend the night with his girlfriend.”

“What?”

“That’s an easy story.” Scorpius peered through the trees. “Easy to remember, easy to believe.”

“You think I’m lying,” Harry accused.

“I know you’re not telling me everything. That’s okay, you’re not obligated to. I’m just trying to help.” Scorpius turned around. “He’s not here.”

That’s right, he wasn’t obligated to. And he wasn’t going to. He wasn’t going to say anything. “Nobody tells me anything.”

Scorpius stared at him with anxiety-inducing intensity. “I understand keeping secrets. I’m not here to fight.”

Harry didn’t want to keep secrets. And he sort of  _ did  _ want to fight. Maybe it was the resemblance Scorpius bore to his father, but Harry was having a hard time not shouting at him. “Leah’s club is safer for him.”

Scorpius nodded. “Alright.”

“Safer for Al, too,” he spat contemptuously. “It’s a better place, apparently. Leah’s a better parent than me. She can handle schizophrenics and drug addicts. I can only create them.”

Scorpius was disturbingly quiet.

“What?” Harry asked, annoyed.

“Do you think Albus went to Leah’s?”

“Does…” Harry had to reroute his train of thought. “Does he know about it?”

“He and Leah talked for a long time at my house. Yes, he does.” Scorpius smiled. “We should go.”

Harry nodded. “Okay.”

A sickening twist in his stomach and Harry stood once again in Knockturn Alley. Scorpius appeared next to him a moment later, looking around himself anxiously.

“Again?” The bouncer at the door called out to them. “Did you forget something?”

Harry ignored him, making a beeline for the door and ducking in. He scanned the room, trying to pick out individuals in the writhing crowd. It made his head spin. Maybe he  _ was _ still sort of drunk.

“Oi.” Scorpius tapped him on the shoulder. “There.” He pointed towards a dim corner, not too far from the bar.

James and Albus seemed to have found each other in the chaos. Harry sighed with relief. Everything was going to be okay. The two brothers were marvelling at each other like they were stunned by the other’s very existence. Harry crept up slowly, watching them carefully.

“No see, what makes a home is what sentiment you put on a place. So I think… you can put that same sentiment into things. Curating, get it?” James was digging through his backpack with one hand as he nodded encouragingly at Albus. “You keep these things- they make the environment, right? And so wherever you are you’re okay.”

Albus nodded back. “Security blanket.”

James gaped. “Merlin, you’re right. That is what it is. Metaphorically. Yeah? Metaphorical security blanket.” He seemed to have found what he was rifling for in a purple cloth bag. He dumped it out on the table next to him. Rocks, toy dinosaurs, what looked like a compass, and several other odd things tumbled out. “Curios. Curating… So I just make a home wherever I am.” He gasped, eyes lighting up. “Also this!” He fished around in his backpack for an orange cloth bag. “It’s a hammock. It’s great because there’s no rules. You can hang it up wherever and there you are.”

Albus gasped and rubbed his face roughly. “Y-yeah. Okay, I see.”

“You okay?” James squinted at him.

“Things are kinda… magical right now.” Albus squinted. “Extra people, I think.”

James gazed wildly out at the crowd. “Extra… Dad!” His eyes locked with Harry’s.

“No no no!” Albus ducked behind his brother.

James grinned. “Little blond Malfoy.”

“Huh?” Albus peered warily over James’ shoulder.

Scorpius pushed past Harry and dashed over to the boys. “You’ve done some exploring.”

Albus nearly knocked James over as he stumbled forwards into Scorpius’ arms. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know… I couldn’t think of anywhere else.”

Harry battled with the impulse to be annoyed that Albus’ first reaction to his presence was to hide versus the far more pressing issue of his crying son’s crumbling psyche.

“Shh, I know. It’s okay,” Scorpius soothed. “Hey, you found your brother, though. That’s good.”

“Did I?” Albus glanced back at James. “Thank Merlin, I thought it was all in my head.” He frowned. “It… you aren’t…?”

“No, I’m here,” Scorpius assured. “Everything’s fine.”

“I can’t tell what’s real,” Albus sobbed, laying his forehead on Scorpius’ shoulder.

“Well, you were smart to come here.”

“I had a portkey. Leah gave me… I couldn’t figure out how to… where home was. So I…” he trailed off, muttering nonsense.

“Mhm.” Scorpius nodded like he was making sense. “That was the right call. Good job.” He patted Albus gently on the back. “Ready to go home?”

Albus shook his head, stepping away. “I don’t think I should.”

Scorpius frowned. “Why not?”

“They can turn me around.” Albus gazed off towards the door. “When I can’t…”

“Trip sitters!” James interjected, grinning broadly. “He’s right, they watch out for you here, it’s great, it’s-” His eyes traveled after something nonexistent, and he seemed to forget what he was talking about. “Lights are so important…”

A hand on Harry’s shoulder made him jump in surprise.

“You’re back soon,” Leah said, stepping forwards to stand next to him.

Harry nodded slowly, pulling his eyes away from his sons and… fine. Son-in-law. “I think…” He frowned. “I think I’m done with them.”

Leah regarded him silently.

“I think I’m done parenting them.” That realization hit him suddenly, like a punch to the gut. There was nothing he could do. They simply didn’t need him in the way they had just a few short years ago. Despite their obvious deficiencies, Harry’s guiding hand was not only unnecessary but possibly even harmful. “I didn’t think… I guess I didn’t think…” he couldn’t find an end to that sentence that didn’t sound either stupid or obvious. Didn’t think they’d ever grow up? Ever not need him? He wasn’t sure, but it hurt anyway.

Leah nodded. “At some point, all children stop needing their parents. Now you have to learn not to need them too.”

“I need everyone’s eyes off me,” Albus said, glancing around nervously. “I just need… quiet. Just everyone to not think about me for a second. Let me try again. I can do it, but I need to be alone.”

Leah walked up to Albus, smiling gently. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you want to.”

Harry felt invisible. His family, without him, was fixing the problem. They really didn’t need him at all. He stepped away, wondering if he should just leave. Go home, tell everyone everything was okay.

“Dad,” James said, stumbling over to him. “I’m glad I saw you.”

Harry nodded uncertainly. “Alright.”

“I feel like things are different now, and I’m different now, and that’s pretty crazy, huh? Change. But I’m glad that you’re here, in this new life, because… The juxtaposition is nostalgic, I guess.” He grinned.

“Nostalgic…” Harry repeated. Nostalgic? Maybe his kids really had moved on.

“Right. Because… I mean, I used to be a baby. And now I’m-” He gestured at himself. “Like this. And you were an adult the whole time, so you saw that. You saw my  _ entire life.  _ That’s pretty amazing. And you know what gets me tripped? You did so much shit before I was ever born. Dude, you killed a guy. And nobody ever watched your whole life. So you’ve got all of that just in your head, all these stories that only you ever saw. And sometimes I think it’s shit having someone know you so well as you know me, but then I think about how much worse it must be to have nobody know you like that, how lonely it could get, so even though I guess I’m kinda… not an ideal person, and you know that, but at least you saw me before and after. So you see the whole picture, and that’s more true than any of my friends. And I’m glad.” He frowned. “Did that make sense?”

Harry nodded, unsure how to feel about that. “Yeah.”

“It’s deeper. You and Mum. So… thanks. For watching.” He reached out hesitantly, putting his hand on Harry’s shoulder. “It’s been weird. But good.”

“Are you saying goodbye?” Harry frowned. What was the point of this?

James shrugged, dropping his hand. “Just connecting. It’s important to connect sometimes.”

“Sure.” Harry nodded slowly. “Well, alright then. I’m going to head home and tell your mother everything’s okay.”

James smiled slowly and sighed, his eyes falling closed. “Everything  _ is  _ okay, isn’t it? That’s great. Life is beautiful, man.”

“Be safe,” Harry warned, waving briefly to Scorpius and heading for the door. He was exhausted. Maybe in the morning he’d sort through everything. His brain felt like mush, so analysis could wait. Time to sleep. Time to take a break from it all. Time to go home.


End file.
